Caroline and the Alaskan Frozen Tundra
by ovaltine8
Summary: On their way to NYU, Annie's cousins run into Ed Chigliak, a shaman from Cicely, Alaska, who meets Richard and Caroline and takes them to Alaska to help them fight their demons. (A "Northern Exposure" crossover co-authored by Sarah Stella)
1. Part One

Caroline and the Alaskan Frozen Tundra by Ann Fox and Sarah Stella

**Caroline and the Alaskan Frozen Tundra**  
A _Caroline in the City/Northern Exposure_ Crossover  
by [Ann Fox][1] and [Sarah Stella][2]  
1998  


**Winner of 1998 CitC fanfic mailing list contest: "Best Crossover fanfic"**

******** 

**DISCLAIMER:** CITC does not belong to either of us and we are not making any money off of this work of amateur fanfic. (Who wants to write for money? :) It is the property of Barron/Pennette and NBC. No infringement is intended. _Northern Exposure_ belongs to Brand/Falsey and CBS. Once again, no money involved; no infringement intended. Characters not appearing on either show are products of the authors' imaginations. (Gwen and Alex Spadaro may be used with expressed, written permission from the authors) 

******** 

**Cast of Northern Exposure:**

**Dr. Joel Fleischman** (from NYC, whiny Jewish doctor) 

**Maggie O'Connell** (strong-minded pilot originally from Michigan) 

**Ed Chigliak** (aspiring filmmaker and Shaman, Native Alaskan) 

**Chris Stevens** (intelligent, well-read DJ for KBHR radio, highly creative and artistic, rides a Harley) 

**Shelly Tambo** (former beauty queen brought to Alaska by Maurice just out of high school, somewhat airheaded but extremely kindhearted, works as waitress at the Brick, love interest of Holling) 

**Holling Vincoeur** (owner of the Brick, 70-some years old, impotence does _not_ run in his family!, likes birdwatching, somewhat macho--especially considering his age) 

**Maurice Minnifield** (wealthy former astronaut who pretty much owns and operates all of Cicely, known to be mean and greedy, does most things for his own personal gain) 

******** 

**Part One**

******** 

She'd been in bed, sleep on the brink of laying its claim on her, when she'd first heard the noise. It had manifested itself as a gentle rustling, scratching sound, and seemed to emanate from inside the bathroom. 

Opening her eyes ever so slowly, slightly angered at having been awakened when she'd been so close to sleep, Caroline Duffy reached over and switched on the lamp on her night stand. She squinted and blinked rapidly, trying to force her eyes to adjust to the glare of the light as quickly as possible so she could investigate the noise and get back to sleep. 

After a long and hearty yawn, she rotated her head upon her neck, waited for the satisfying crack as the joint loosened, then slid her legs over the side of the bed and sat up. She ran her fingers through her short red hair, and with every ounce of effort she could muster, finally stood and made her way towards the bathroom. 

She crept across the room silently, her mind telling her simultaneously that it was nothing more than a mouse, yet it could be nothing other than a maniacal, bloodthirsty, psychotic ax murderer. Well, maybe it was a maniacal, bloodthirsty mouse. There is never any real way of telling. 

Just outside the door, she paused and peeked into the bathroom, hoping that whatever was in there would not sense her presence. She knew that all ax murderers had to have heightened senses; that's why they are always able to evade the police in the movies. So it was more than likely that this particular psycho would be no different--that either he would hear her coming or even perhaps _smell_ her! 

_Shut up, Caroline! Just shut up!_ she told herself. Sometimes having an active imagination was _not_ a good thing. Especially in the middle of the night in a city like New York where almost anything can and does happen. _Maybe I should find myself a weapon, just to be safe_, she decided, scanning the room for a suitable tool of destruction. (Well, a tool of self-defense at the very least.) 

Just as she was about to moan in disappointment, she spied a bottle of hair spray on her night stand. Not exactly the ideal weapon, but it would have to do. She tiptoed over and snatched it up, holding the bottle with her finger on the trigger as if it were a potent, incapacitating can of heavy-duty mace. _As long as I am going to conjure up images of ax murderers, might as well give myself the right weapon to fight them off with_, she reasoned. Her racing mind was doing nothing for her nerves, as it took everything within her to keep herself steady as she approached the door again. 

For a few moments, she listened carefully. She half-expected to discover the noise had been nothing but her imagination, but as she concentrated, she was able to make out a hint of the same rustling that she'd heard only minutes before. 

Gathering all of the courage that she believed she had, she whipped her body through the door and flipped on the light switch. Armed with the hair spray, she grunted with the effort and nearly fell over backwards in surprise when she saw what was in front of her. 

A woman. An absurdly tiny woman. She was beautiful, Caroline supposed. (What she could make out of her delicate, elfin-looking features was pretty, at least). A small, whispish curl of sea-green hair tumbled down her back to end nearly at her waist; all-in-all, the woman couldn't have been more than five or six inches tall. Caroline's already overworked mind shot right into hyper-drive in an overwhelming rush. 

"What on _earth_?" she asked in a hoarse, half-whisper. 

The woman turned to her, perched precariously on the bar of Dove facial wash every bit as pink as her tiny body. Her eyes were a fascinating shade of beaten gold that seemed to shift and shiver with passing patterns of light and thought that raced around the impossible...creature. Seemingly recognizing Caroline, the woman raised a tiny hand and saluted, actually _saluted_ the still-amazed cartoonist. As the woman did so, Caroline thought she caught the faintest shimmer of something silvery jumping from the woman's hand and taking flight in the air. It floated toward her with the lazy gracefulness of a flock of homing pigeons. 

The next thing Caroline knew, she was waking up, flat on her back on the bathroom floor with a doozy of a headache. A faint, mechanical whirring reached her pain-sensitized ears and Caroline jerked herself forcefully to her feet, absolutely convinced that the tiny woman from the night before was still in her apartment, currently taking liberties with her blender. But the sight that met her scratchy eyes when she lurched unsteadily down the stairs was Annie, who was standing at the counter, dropping a couple eggs into a vile-looking, brownish concoction. 

"Annie?" Caroline asked, squinting at her friend, her voice rough from her cold night on the bathroom tiles. 

"Hiya, Caroline," Annie greeted her with a tiny salute that brought the confusing events of the night before back to Caroline with a staggering force. "You're never gonna believe this, but I had a little too much to drink last night and my cousins are coming to visit tomorrow (and you know how I am the day after going through a hangover) all the way from...saaay," Annie cut herself off in mid-sentence, "you look like you could use this more than I could." Deftly, Annie pulled a tall beer mug out of a cabinet to her right and skillfully poured the contents of the blender into the glass. Wordlessly, she handed it to Caroline who gave it a dubious look before sucking it down in two large gulps. 

Surprisingly enough, the mixture didn't taste nearly as bad as it looked. _Thank heavens for small favors_, Caroline told herself wearily. By the time Annie had mixed another batch of her hangover remedy, Caroline's head was significantly clearer. "Thanks, Annie," she said gratefully. In the fresh late-summer sunshine, her experience was beginning to seem more and more like a bad dream, a figment of her overworked imagination. "Now, what's all this about your cousins?" 

******** 

**A Week or so Earlier...**

******** 

It had always vaguely amazed Gwen that she and Alex were friends at all since they came from completely different worlds. Yet, once the two girls had made it past some of their superficial differences, they found that they shared a profound and deeply-felt connection that neither cared to nor wanted to fully explain. Gwen had always harbored a sneaking suspicion that it was because they'd been born on the same day, only eight minutes apart, but she'd never dared to tell Alex. Alex would have immediately accused Gwen of finally crossing over to "her side", into the realm of the strange and unusual. Of course, Gwen would proclaim it as "More of that _X-Files_ junk," and that would have been the end of _that_. 

Physically, the girls couldn't have been more different, even though they were closely related by blood. Alex Spadaro was a petite girl with sea-green eyes that sparkled with good humor and wit. Her slightly wavy brown hair fell to her waist and beyond. She rarely put it up though--it was her crowning glory. Gwen had always thought that Alex could have easily passed for some sort of woodland sprite if it weren't for her typical t-shirt and jeans ensemble. The only concession Alex made to her cousin's fancy was the fact that she preferred to (and often did) go barefoot for days at a stretch. 

Gwen was yang to Alex's yin. Her slightly chestnutty bone-straight hair barely reached past her shoulder blades and she preferred to keep it up, braiding it on either side and pinning it closely to her head. She walked with a mannish stride that her mother found unattractive, but Gwen had always preferred speed to delicacy. A sprite Gwen most certainly was not. She was built solidly with squarish shoulders and narrow hips. Her ears were pierced multiple times and it was, as she so often pointed out, a minor life goal of hers to one day set off an airport metal detector. 

_I certainly won't get my chance today_, Gwen mused absently as she sat on the platform with her mother, waiting for her train to arrive. But still, a cross-country trip with her favorite cousin to meet another favorite cousin in New York City no less was exciting enough to forgo a silly life goal anyhow. Her excited ears picked up the faint scream of a whistle in the distance. Gwen rose, hefting up her suitcase and pulling out the handle so she could roll it along the ground. The rest of her luggage had been checked long ago, earmarked for the baggage car. 

"That must be my train," she told her mother who was already starting to get misty around the eyes. Gwen smiled with her patented mixture of sarcasm and warmth. "It's only a few weeks before I'd have to leave for college anyway, Mom. Annie'll take good care of me an' Alex, and if she doesn't...well, we'll take care of each other." 

Mrs. Spadaro sniffed loudly. "I know. It's just that it seems like such a short time ago that you two were only babies and now you're both heading out for college...in New York City, no less. New York is such a long way from Seattle you know." 

"I know, Mom. I promise to write and call and everything. Alex will too. And you have to remember that British Columbia is even further away from New York than Seattle is." 

Gwen's mom sniffed again. "I know. Marie is going to miss Alex just as much as I'm going to miss you." 

The train squealed to a steamy stop in front of the two women, who were almost of a height now. Gwen and her mother embraced for one last time before Gwen mounted the steps and disappeared into the train. Karen Spadaro's anxious eyes found her daughter's face once more before the train rolled slowly out of the station, moving ever further east. 

******** 

It took Gwen a full fifteen minutes of unsteady bobbling down the train aisles before she located her cousin in one of the last cars. It was actually the last sleeper before the observation car. _Which definitely figures_, Gwen thought, rolling her eyes a little. Alex had always been more into nature than she was anyhow. 

Alex sensed the air in the sleeper change just as soon as her cousin walked through the door. Without bothering to look for Gwen's familiar reddish hair, Alex jumped to her feet and shouted, "Gwen!" while waving her hands wildly in the air. 

Gwen looked in the direction of the racket and raised her eyebrows at her vivacious cousin with a smile. An answering grin curled across her cousin's face and Gwen increased her pace, she was nearly running down the aisle now. Alex came out to meet her and the girls shared a fierce hug. Gwen jammed her suitcase into the overhead compartment. 

"I hope our rug and towels and stuff got there okay," she mused worriedly to her cousin. "It would suck to start out our lives at NYU without a decent..." Gwen cut her gripe off short when she noted the figure slouched uncomfortably in the seat adjoining Alex's and across from her own. 

Alex noted the start of surprise and countered it with a calming hand. Even though her cousin had grown up in a big city, Alex had always noted a strange shyness on Gwen's part when it came to members of the opposite sex, especially _attractive_ members of the opposite sex, a category to which their seatmate decidedly belonged. 

He wasn't handsome in the traditional way, Gwen decided, stepping back an imperceptible half-pace. He was certainly tall, a fact which she confirmed when he unbent himself from his seat, stood, and extended a hand to her. He had long, black hair which he had bound into a single braid that ran to the middle of his back, and the most beautiful, translucent blue eyes Gwen had ever seen. His figure seemed impossibly delicate...for a man. And if Gwen secretly saw her favorite cousin as a spirit of the woods then this young man must have been a spirit of the air. 

"This is my cousin and best friend, Gwyneth Spadaro," Alex told the young man politely. He couldn't have been any more than a couple years older than them both but he possessed a kind of innate tranquillity that made him seem almost ageless. Alex, seemingly unaware of the effect the man was having on Gwen, turned to her cousin. "Gwen, this is Ed Chigliak, aspiring film maker, shaman-in-training, and happy resident of Cicely, Alaska. He's been telling me all about it, ever since I got on the train at least. And this is the wild part--he's headed for New York, just like we are. He wants to meet Richard and Caroline. Isn't that crazy?!" 

"Crazy," Gwen murmured, seating herself gingerly across from Ed, who had folded himself back into his chair, looking decidedly uncomfortable. 

Alex plopped herself into place. She could be comfortable practically anywhere. "So, Ed," she picked up a thread of conversation they'd obviously been pursuing prior to Gwen's arrival, "you never did tell me _why_ exactly you want to see Annie's friends." 

Ed twisted his hands nervously in his lap. "They Called me. I need to bring them back to Cicely with me so I can help them fight their demons." 

In one fluid movement, Alex and Gwen met each others' eyes with their eyebrows cocked in a mutual expression of disbelief and grudging interest. Their united message was perfectly clear. 

_More of that 'X-Files' junk...coool_. 

******** 

**Continued in Part Two**

******** 

Please visit my Caroline in the City webpage: [Sincere Amore][3]  
  


   [1]: mailto:ovaltine8@yahoo.com
   [2]: mailto:soitgoes@witty.com
   [3]: http://www.sincereamore.com/



	2. Part Two

Caroline and the Alaskan Frozen Tundra by Ann Fox and Sarah Stella

**Caroline and the Alaskan Frozen Tundra**  
A _Caroline in the City/Northern Exposure_ Crossover  
by [Ann Fox][1] and [Sarah Stella][2]  
1998  


**Winner of 1998 CitC fanfic mailing list contest: "Best Crossover fanfic"**

******** 

**Part Two**

******** 

"...So they're staying with me for a few weeks until they start college. They're both really, really smart," said Annie, as she described her cousins to Caroline. "I don't know where they get it from either. Our family isn't known for its intelligence." 

Caroline clucked her tongue. "Oh, come on. You people are plenty smart." 

Annie smiled. "Caroline, you are too kind. If you really think that, then these chicks are going to blow you away." She leaned in closer to Caroline as if she were about to reveal something that was for her ears only. "They have this weird sort of....connection. Like twins, almost. That's about the only way I can think of to describe it. I mean, Alex grew up just outside of Vancouver--she's a Canadian if you can believe that! And Gwen grew up in Seattle, so they really weren't that far apart when you think about it--just a matter of a few hundred miles. 

"When we were younger, we used to all get together every summer by Gwen's house in Washington and those two would spend all of their time together. They were, like, inseparable, you know, like best friends. But it was more than that--it was almost like they were soulmates. They always seemed to know what the other was thinking and feeling, even when they weren't together." 

"Wow," mused an intrigued Caroline. 

"Just hold on. You haven't even heard the weird part yet," explained Annie. She sat back on the couch and smiled even wider. "I just can't believe they are part of _my_ family when I think about this." With a quiet snort, she began her tale. 

"There was this one time in about...oh, I'd say, about 19....1988....yeah, I think that's it. It was in September. I was about 17 or 18 at the time, so they must have been about 7 or 8. Anyway, Aunt Karen and Uncle Jimmy were grilling out one night and they had a bunch of neighbors over and everything--sort of like a block party, only with them, it was almost like a family get-together because they're the friendly type of people. 

"Uncle Jimmy took the top thingie off the grill to see how the coals were coming along and somehow he got distracted or something and he left it off. Gwen was chasing around Horseradish, the dog--don't ask, we have a way with names in our family-- and somehow he got in her way and she tripped over his body and fell into the grill. One of her arms, the left one, I think, landed right on that part with the bars, you know, where you cook the meat?" 

Caroline nodded, enthralled, her eyes wide and bright with interest. 

"She got burned pretty bad. They got her to the emergency room right away so she was okay. But ever since then, she's been deathly afraid of heat, especially fire." 

"That's terrible," sighed Caroline. "I used to be afraid of fire for the longest time too." They both sat in silence for a few moments, considering what Annie had just said. Then Caroline realized that she'd missed something. "Hey, what does that have to do with your other cousin?" 

"Alex? Oh, well, here's where it gets interesting. This is probably going to freak you out, but I swear it's true. Well, that same night, Alex was in her room by herself, playing Barbies or something. She does that a lot--going off on her own, you know, so that wasn't the weird part. But all of a sudden she started screaming and she came running downstairs into the kitchen where Uncle Mark and Aunt Marie were playing cards. She was yelling something about her arm being burned. Marie ran over to her and looked at her arm, and sure enough, there were scorch lines on it, like you see on grilled steak! Alex was screaming and crying and Marie started to panic because she couldn't figure out how it could have happened. She kept asking Alex how she got burned and she had no idea! 

"They put ice on it and took her to the emergency room, and once they had it under control everyone kept asking Alex what happened, but she still couldn't tell them. They thought she might be in shock or something, but even after the burn started to heal, she still had no idea." 

Annie looked over at Caroline, who was watching her with an uncertain gaze. 

"See? I told you this was weird. Anyway, a few days after it happened, Aunt Karen called Aunt Marie and when she started telling her about what happened to Gwen, Marie fainted on the spot. It was just too much for her to believe. It took us all a long time to believe it. But a couple weeks later they got the girls together and they both had identical burn marks on the same arm! Isn't that, like, the freakiest thing you ever heard?" 

Caroline's mouth was partway open, a look of amazement painted across her face. "That is freaky." At that point, she had pretty much forgotten the events prior to Annie's arrival in her apartment. 

"Anyway, things like that have been going on between them pretty much ever since. Maybe not as weird as _that_ story, but little things. It's even gotten stronger since they've gotten older. In a way, they sort of scare me, but they both have this magnetism about them. You can't help but love 'em to death," laughed Annie. 

"Well, I can't wait to meet them," Caroline proclaimed. "When are they coming?" 

"Uh, they're supposed to be here sometime tomorrow. They're supposed to be coming into the city on a train. I have to go meet them around noon-ish. Boy, with Ma and the girls all camping out in my apartment, I'm just never going to have a moment of privacy. And you know how I like my privacy." 

"Ah, yes, your privacy," agreed Caroline, knowing full well the meaning behind those words. "Well, I'm sure you'll work it out. They sound like they'd be open to just about anything." 

"You're telling me," muttered Annie. 

******** 

"Actually, this is the first time I'm going to meet Caroline and Richard," said Alex, watching the trees whip past the window of the train. "Annie tells us that they both have a thing for each other, but he's married and she's too nice to try and break them up. It sounded really complicated to me." 

Ed nodded enthusiastically, his blue eyes shining. "It _is_ really complicated. More complicated than either of them can imagine. Dr. Fleischman always told me how complicated life was in New York." 

"Who's Dr. Fleischman?" asked Gwen, warming up to the conversation. 

Ed smiled. "Oh, he's the doctor that Maurice brought from New York. In Cicely, the town is so small that we didn't even have a doctor. He's whiny and annoying a lot of the time, but I like him. He really wants to go back to New York. He's always complaining about that," said Ed. "And I know you're wondering who Maurice is. Well, I'll tell you. He's this really rich guy who pretty much owns most of Cicely. He used to be an astronaut, and sometimes he can be pretty self-absorbed, but he was the one who made Cicely a town. Before he came out there, it was just wilderness, but now we have a bar, a general store, a radio station, a few offices, and a whole bunch of houses. It's not much, but it's enough for us." 

Gwen's expression was obviously pained. "I can't imagine living somewhere that didn't have an Old Navy or a Starbucks nearby." 

"Oh, we have all that, but they're in Anchorage. It's a little out of the way, but most of us go up there from time to time," defended Ed. 

"She's from Seattle," explained Alex with a grin. "She doesn't know what 'roughing it' means." 

Gwen wrinkled up her nose at Alex. Before she could slingshot a comeback, Ed broke in. "Have either of you ever been to New York before?" 

"Once. We took a tour of the campus at NYU with our parents, but it was a short trip so we really didn't get to see much," said Alex. 

"So you two are going to college?" said Ed with a grin. Alex and Gwen nodded in sync. "Wow. I never went to college. We have a school, but it's just for grade school and high school. There aren't enough kids to have separate schools, so everyone goes together." 

"That sounds....rustic," said Gwen. 

"Yep," agreed Ed. "But that's life in Cicely. You don't live there unless you want to." 

"Yeah, I suppose you're right," nodded Gwen. 

The three of them were silent for several moments, Alex and Ed staring out the window at the landscape and Gwen looking down at her hands. The clattering of the train on the tracks was somewhat hypnotic, the ca-chunking rhythm and the swaying of the car just enough to lull a person to sleep. Gwen slipped her eyes shut for a moment but jerked them open again when she heard a cry issue from Alex's mouth. 

"Look! It's an eagle!" cried Alex as she pointed out the window. Gwen and Ed followed the path of Alex's finger with their eyes and watched the magnificent bird swoop through the sky. Alex expected Ed to be less than impressed with her discovery, since he most likely saw different types of wildlife on a daily basis, but he watched the eagle with obvious interest. "Dr. Fleischman's mother had the spirit of the eagle," commented Ed somewhat evocatively. 

He had the attention of both girls now. "How do you know?" asked Alex. 

Ed shrugged. "Some things a person just _knows_, you know?" 

"Do you know what spirits we have?" inquired Gwen somewhat clumsily. 

"I can't tell you that. It's inside you, and you must discover it yourself." 

"Wow," Alex mused reflectively. 

"How did you learn this stuff?" Gwen asked Ed. 

"A lot of it is intuitive, but much of it came from the wilderness herself. My shaman guide taught me how to communicate with nature. I still have a lot to learn, and this trip is very important to my development." 

"You know, Ed, I don't know much about shamans, but you seem really young to be one," observed Gwen. 

Ed nodded in agreement. "That's what I thought at first too. I was only twenty-two when I got my Call. Nature is very mysterious. Age doesn't seem to make much of a difference to her, as long as one is wise." 

The girls responded with twin smiles. 

"Caroline and Richard called you?" asked Alex, recalling what Ed had said earlier. 

"Yes, but not in the way you're thinking. They didn't call on the phone." 

Both girls wore looks of intrigue on their faces, but Alex looked absolutely mystified. She peered at Ed with nearly dilated pupils. "You mean they _Called_ you?" 

Ed nodded enthusiastically, as he had earlier when Alex had been right about the situation he was heading into. "Yep," he replied simply. 

"This is going to be a great trip," decided Alex. 

"Definitely," agreed Gwen. 

Ed merely nodded in satisfaction. 

******** 

**Continued in Part Three**

******** 

Please visit my Caroline in the City webpage: [Sincere Amore][3]  
  


   [1]: mailto:ovaltine8@yahoo.com
   [2]: mailto:soitgoes@witty.com
   [3]: http://www.sincereamore.com/



	3. Part Three

Caroline and the Alaskan Frozen Tundra by Ann Fox and Sarah Stella

**Caroline and the Alaskan Frozen Tundra**  
A _Caroline in the City/Northern Exposure_ Crossover  
by [Ann Fox][1] and [Sarah Stella][2]  
1998  


**Winner of 1998 CitC fanfic mailing list contest: "Best Crossover fanfic"**

******** 

**Part Three**

******** 

Richard trudged through Caroline's door fifteen minutes later than usual. She was standing in front of her sink as he walked in, zealously attacking something on the counter. Caroline looked up as she heard him enter, waved, then quickly turned her attention back to the counter. He walked over to get himself a mug of coffee, but he soon realized there was nothing in the coffee maker. 

"Mr. Coffee is looking a little empty this morning," he commented dryly. 

"Richard, have you ever seen so many ants in one place before?" she asked, indicating the colony of tiny insects swarming across her counter top. 

Richard leaned over her shoulder and shook his head. "Bah, this is nothing. You should have seen my old apartment. If I ever had a day when my place wasn't being taken over by one type of insect or another, then I knew something was seriously wrong." 

Caroline ignored the comment and continued to squish the ants with a wad of Kleenex. "I hate to kill them all like this, but this apartment belongs to me, not them." 

"Why don't you just spray some Raid on them?" asked Richard as he helped himself to a Sprite from her fridge, his comment eliciting no response from Caroline. "Don't you have any caffeinated beverages in the house?" he inquired as he read the label. 

"Annie didn't make any coffee this morning," she muttered absently. "She made me 'The Cure' instead." 

"Ah, too many margaritas last night?" commented Richard. 

Caroline sighed. "Not exactly. For her, maybe, but...well, I'm not sure." 

"Is everything okay?" asked Richard with concern as he sat down at the partners desk. 

Caroline stopped squishing ants for a moment and looked up. "I think so. But I just had the weirdest dream last night and then I woke up on the floor in the bathroom." 

Richard sat stock-still in his seat as his face went ghost-white. "What sort of dream?" he asked cautiously. 

Caroline bit her lip as she decided the best way to describe it to him. She didn't notice the way it was already affecting Richard. "Well, I was in bed last night when I heard this rustling from the bathroom," she began. 

Richard stayed perfectly silent while Caroline related her 'Tale of the Tiny Woman' as she secretly had begun to call it. If she'd been more alert, she would have noticed the conspicuous absence of any snide comment from that quarter, but truthfully she was still feeling a little muddled, even with the aid of Annie's surefire "Cure". When she had finished he sat and stared at her for a long, uncomfortable moment until realization of his strange behavior finally dawned on her. 

"What?" 

Richard put his head in his hands and pulled his fingers through his thick blonde hair until it stood out in tufts. He looked at Caroline with an inscrutable look. She firmly quashed the urge to smooth down his hair knowing it'd only irritate him. 

"That has got to be, without a doubt, the _strangest_ thing I've heard yet this week." 

Caroline shot him a tight lipped smile, not knowing whether to feel insulted or strangely flattered. "It's only Monday, give me time." Silence fell between the pair and it was Caroline who finally broke it, broaching the subject with halting awkwardness. 

"There's something else though." She squinted at him carefully. She was right. 

_Now, if he'd only admit it_. 

"There's something else," Richard repeated, his inscrutable look was back in force. "Last night, Caroline...you know Julia and I just moved into our new place. Anyhow, the view from the picture windows is just so perfect that I didn't want to waste any time, so I started painting..." At this point Caroline nodded knowingly, understanding exactly what excited fever must have gripped Richard. "It was getting very late but we actually have more than one room in this apartment so I wasn't disturbing anyone," he looked slightly guilty nonetheless, "I was working with acrylics and I went into the kitchen to wash a brush and when I came back..." Richard took a deep breath. Caroline was definitely flattered now; she knew the effort any even vaguely personal admission required of Richard. "There was this, this...man I guess, sitting on the divan _staring_ at me." 

"A man?" Caroline asked, alarmed. "How did he get in? He didn't rob you, did he?" 

"Not unless he was there to rifle through Julia's pantyhose drawer," Richard replied with a wry twist of his mouth. "Caroline, he was about four feet tall and he did the damn best Peter Pan impression _I've_ ever seen." 

"He _flew_?" Caroline's voice was barely above a whisper. 

"No he didn't _fly_. He was dressed completely in some sort of Robin Hood meets the Boy-who-Never-Grew-Up ensemble. Even his face was green." 

"Oh," Caroline said, more softly than before, "is that all...I mean, did he _say_ anything to you?" 

"Like I said, he was staring at me and then he said, 'Richie'. His voice was kind of scratchy but I could swear he had a Brooklyn accent." 

"Then what?" Caroline asked breathlessly. 

Richard looked as supremely embarrassed as she'd ever seen him. "Then I woke up and it was this morning and I had a big, nasty lump on the back of my head where I'd hit it on the coffee table when I passed out." 

Caroline tried vainly to suppress a smile. "You _fainted_." 

"Looks that way," he answered glumly. "But you don't have to sound so pleased about it, if I remember correctly..." 

"And you always do," Caroline cut in. 

He looked sharply at her, or as sharply as he _could_ ever look at her. "If I remember correctly," he repeated with emphasis, "you didn't do so hot yourself with the fainting bit." 

"True." Caroline shrugged. "So we're both going crazy. I'm imagining six-inch high women who're liberal with the fairy dust and you're imagining sarcastic midgets from Brooklyn." She laughed with just a touch of hysterical abandon then clapped her hands together and slid into her seat. "We're a matched set, Richard. I think the best thing is just to forget about it and assume that we're both a little overworked." 

"And underpaid," Richard added under his breath but he followed Caroline's example and was soon engrossed by the panels surrounding him. 

And yet, in the back of both their minds they _knew_ that they couldn't dismiss their experiences out of hand. For her own part, Caroline now understood Richard's inscrutable look perfectly. It had been one part his usual skepticism and another part hope, hope that she would be able to prove to him that he wasn't crazy. 

******** 

Alex was rudely dumped sideways into her seat by the seasick rocking of the train as it pulled into Penn Station. Craning her head back as far as it would go she was met only by the disappointing grey cement pillars that lined the arrival platform here, as in any other underground station in America...or Canada. The only interesting thing about the scenery was that it was all upside down. 

Across from her, Gwen wasn't even looking out the window, she was busy trying to get her eyeliner to go on straight as the car clacked from side to side. 

"You look _fine_," Alex assured her, swiveling her head to face her cousin followed by her body. 

"I feel awful," Gwen replied, giving up on the eyeliner and opting for lip gloss instead. "We've been on this train _forever_ and I need a real shower like nobody's business." She smacked her lips together to smooth the gloss down and offered the pot in Alex's direction. "Want some? It's honey-flavored." Alex launched herself into the air, pushing out of her seat and landing with a loud 'thump' beside Gwen. She stuck her finger into the gloss and applied some to her own lips. 

"Mmmm," she said approvingly before adding innocently, "but I wouldn't think you'd mind being on the train for so many days." She elbowed Gwen teasingly in the ribs and was rewarded with a gentle shove. Ed had become their constant shadow and traveling companion as the days had passed. They formed a pretty little close-knit group. 

"If I wanted to impress him with my glamour and poise I've failed miserably. Right now I'd cheerfully sell both you _and_ Ed into white slavery for a long, slow shower and a soft bed in a quiet room. And besides," Gwen added, her face growing grave and serious, "he's too old for me, dontcha think?" She whipped out a compact and powdered her nose. 

"Who's too old for whom?" asked the man in question, sliding into a seat opposite the two girls. 

"Never mind," Gwen said hastily before Alex had a chance to open her mouth. Ed was too much of a gentleman to pursue the line of questioning any further than that. She snapped her compact closed and stood, trying to will away the blush that had spread across her fair complexion. Ed jumped to his feet and helped the two girls with their bags. 

"It's pretty hot in here," he told them casually which made Alex and Gwen suspect that he knew more about what they'd been talking about than he let on. 

The statement hung, unanswered, in the air, but the three left it (and any awkwardness that might have come with it), behind them when they made their way off the train and into the big city. 

******** 

"Richard, have you seen Annie?" Caroline asked when she returned from picking up lunch. She clutched two white paper sacks which she set down on the kitchen counter with a small flourish. 

"No and I hope never to again, why?" 

"No particular reason, I passed her apartment on my way here and her phone was ringing and ringing and ringing and I thought it might be an important call or something." 

"Caroline, this is a city of millions and millions of telemarketers. I'm sure it wasn't important." 

"You're probably right. But whoever it was sure was _persistent_." 

"Say, what took you so long with lunch? If you hadn't come back when you did I was thinking of a spot of cannibalization." He looked meaningfully at Salty who, for her part, was completely oblivious to his designs. 

Caroline frowned her practiced, I-know-you-hate-my-cat-but-I-still-secretly-love-you frown. "I wanted to try that new place, Via Cucina. Do you want root beer or iced tea?" She plucked two bottles out of one bag and two paper covered bundles out of the other and unwrapped them to reveal plump and delicious-looking sandwiches. Richard grabbed the iced tea and one of the sandwiches. "Don't tell Remo," she added guiltily. 

"Your secret's safe with me," Richard assured her around bites. 

In Annie's apartment, the phone was ringing again. 

******** 

"Where the hell is she?" Gwen was supremely frustrated. Around her, Penn Station coursed with a confusing kaleidoscope whirl of people, colors and smells. Seattle hadn't really prepared her for the electric pace that seemed prevalent among New Yorkers. Suddenly, Alex and Ed were at her side. Funny--she hadn't remembered calling them or catching their eyes or anything. Gwen shrugged it off and rubbed absent-mindedly at her left arm where the perfectly straight burn scars were still visible, even after ten years. 

"What's wrong?" Alex asked, her brow furling in concern. She pushed a few stray hairs out of her eyes. 

"I've tried calling Annie five separate times. Each time the phone just rings and rings and no one picks up. I'm running out of quarters and dimes and patience." 

"I don't understand. She _knew_ we were coming in today. I called her before I left Vancouver." 

"Well," Gwen dug into her purse for a few moments before emerging with a glossy piece of paper, accordion-folded into a neat rectangle, "how well do you read a map?" 

They spread the map out across several seats in one of the waiting areas, drawing sour looks from a few passengers. Under their fingers, the whole New York subway system spread out like an enormous, mutant-colored spider. Ed, Alex, and Gwen each stared at the map solemnly for a minute. 

"We're here," Alex said, jabbing her finger into the belly of the spider, realizing that the other two had mirrored her words and her movement at the same instant. Three fingers poked at the map...in three separate locations. 

"Here, let me," Gwen offered, trying to be as kind as possible. She gently swept Alex's and Ed's fingers from the map. "Living in Seattle should have been good for _something_. I can read a map like nobody's business." 

Ed and Alex withdrew slightly while Gwen poured over the map as if the last prophecy of Nostradamus were printed there, right between Central Park and SoHo. It was a few tense moments before she cried, "Eureka!" took off towards the subway. 

Alex grabbed Gwen's arm before she could get anywhere. "Aren't you forgetting something?" 

"What?...The _bags_!" Gwen slapped her forehead. "I'd forget my head if it weren't screwed on so darn tight." 

"Or if I didn't remind you to bring it with you," Alex added wryly. 

"Too true," Gwen said, giving her cousin's shoulder a friendly squeeze. She seemed to remember something. The girls stopped and turned towards Ed who'd been dogging their footsteps all the time. 

"Were you planning on coming with us?" Alex asked him. 

"If you don't mind," he said, lowering his eyes and shuffling his feet nervously. "Since we're going to the same place an' all." 

"We don't mind at all," Alex said brightly and Gwen nodded. "The more the merrier, after all." 

******** 

**Continued in Part Four**

******** 

Please visit my Caroline in the City webpage: [Sincere Amore][3]  
  


   [1]: mailto:ovaltine8@yahoo.com
   [2]: mailto:soitgoes@witty.com
   [3]: http://www.sincereamore.com/



	4. Part Four

Caroline and the Alaskan Frozen Tundra by Ann Fox and Sarah Stella

**Caroline and the Alaskan Frozen Tundra**  
A _Caroline in the City/Northern Exposure_ Crossover  
by [Ann Fox][1] and [Sarah Stella][2]  
1998  


**Winner of 1998 CitC fanfic mailing list contest: "Best Crossover fanfic"**

******** 

**Part Four**

******** 

Caroline bid goodbye to Richard and closed her door on his back. Today had been a tolerable day; she'd managed to quell that ripped sensation that came from the general vicinity of her heart whenever she looked at him for long enough to get some serious work done. She suspected that this was partially because Richard had been so _quiet_ all day. Usually he groused a mile a minute in that lovable way that'd endeared him to her over time, but not today. 

Making her leisurely way over to the partners desk, she saw that he'd forgotten his portfolio. It had fallen to the floor in a dark grey lump and Salty was busy chewing and batting at the handles by turns. Caroline rescued the unfortunate piece of leather and she was startled but not surprised when, a few minutes later, there was a repeated pounding on her front door. 

She swung it open, expecting to see Richard's much-loved face. She had so been anticipating what she'd find when she opened the door that she actually backed up a step when the person knocking on her door turned out to be three persons: two cheerful, bright-eyed teenage girls and an attractive man who was probably a few years older. 

For an instant, Caroline could see the lead girl contemplating whether or not to call her ma'am or not. 

"You must be Caroline," the girl said. Apparently she'd decided against ma'am. "Can we come in?" 

Then, without waiting for an answer, the entire group flounced into Caroline's apartment--or rather, flounced as best they could, dragging several large suitcases and a couple medium-sized trunks behind them. 

The behavior was readily recognizable. _My God_, Caroline thought, a smile twisting on her lips, _they do it on both coasts_. Aloud she said, "You _must_ be Spadaros." 

"Guilty as charged," the girls chorused. Then they looked at each other and burst into laughter. They each seated themselves on a trunk and settled in before continuing. 

"Sorry," one girl apologized, "we usually don't act this ditzy." 

"But we just had the most _amazing_ subway ride," the other one added, seamlessly taking up the story. 

"We," she indicated the threesome, "found out we're all big movie buffs. We've also got a sort-of mutual acquaintance." 

"Y'see, our uncle Paul Cazzoni was in jail in West Virginia..." 

"Don't ask." Two sets of eyes rolled in perfect sync. 

"With a really good friend of Ed's, Chris Stevens." 

"We talked all the way from Penn Station." 

"Annie said you were coming in tomorrow. Did you take an earlier train?" 

Again the girls looked at each other and something almost-tangible passed between them. 

"Another Spadaro family fault you might like to know about," said the reddish-haired girl, "we're notoriously bad with dates and times. We _told_ her we were coming in today I guess she got it mixed with something else." She shrugged. "By the way, I'm Gwen." 

"Yeah," her longhaired companion seconded. "I'm Alex." 

"Caroline Duffy." She shook both their hands. 

"We know _all_ about you, Caroline," Alex said knowingly. The girls exchanged another Look and Caroline felt a silly urge to tell them to stop talking about her behind--in front of, whatever--her back. Annie had been right, it _was_ freaky, but fascinating at the same time. 

"And who's this?" Caroline asked, nodding in Ed's direction. 

"This is Ed Chigliak. He's here to see you and Richard," Alex explained. 

"Pleased to meet you, ma'am." 

Caroline eyed him warily. "I don't know you. How do you know me?" 

"Well, you see, I'm a shaman--shaman-in-training actually." Ed nodded his head and pressed his lips together as if that explained everything. 

_Which explains precisely nothing_, Caroline grumbled in a way she never would have dared express aloud. 

"I'm not sure where Annie is. She hasn't been home all day, but you're more than welcome to crash here for a while." 

"Thanks; that's decent of you," Alex said, "especially considering..." She indicated the baggage that surrounded them. "Yeah, sorry about that. We're going to college, that's all." 

Caroline nodded. "Perfectly understandable. I remember when I..." 

She was interrupted by the opening of her front door; Richard stomped into the apartment, growling violently under his breath. "Caroline, I..." he stopped short when he raised his eyes and glimpsed Alex, Gwen and Ed, moving around them carefully he continued slowly, "left...my...portfolio. Say, what's with the Mouseketeers?" 

Gwen and Alex wrinkled their noses up at him in identical expressions of defiance. Ed seemed unfazed. 

Caroline sighed. "These are Annie's cousins and their...friend, I guess, Ed." 

A look of unspeakable horror crossed Richard's face. "_More_ Spadaros?" 

Ed, meanwhile, had been watching Caroline and Richard closely. 

"Self-doubt," he said cryptically, nodding his head in Richard's direction. "Meekness," he told Caroline. The two artists looked at him, expressions of deep confusion clouding their faces. "Your demons hate each other and they don't like you two much either. That's the reason you can't seem to get together." He nodded again as he had before. "I can help you." 

******** 

Annie stepped into the elevator of her building and was immediately hit by a blast of foul-smelling air. "Uhhhhhh, what is that?" she groaned, holding her hand, which was clutching a plastic shopping bag, to her nose. She gave the elevator car a once-over and her eyes settled on a damp spot on the carpeting in the opposite corner, where someone had done a sloppy cleanup job. "Great. Someone just _had_ to ride the elevator when they were wasted," she grumbled irritably. She punched the button for the second floor with her empty hand and the doors slid shut. 

Thoughts of her own hypocrisy floated through her mind--how many times had she ridden the elevator when she was drunk? As quickly as they had come, the thoughts disappeared. At least she had enough control not to puke her guts out in the elevator; she could hold it until she got in her apartment, for God's sake! 

As soon as the door began to open, Annie fought to get into the hallway as quickly as she could. When the door shut again, she sensed an intangible change in the air, and it wasn't just because she had escaped the smell of the vomit; there was a definite difference to the air's composition. She jammed her key in the lock of her apartment door, shoved her way inside, tossed the bag on her couch. After throwing the keys on her counter, she breezed out the door, headed for Caroline's. 

******** 

"I don't know what you're talking about," claimed Richard, eyeing Ed suspiciously. "Who are you again?" 

"Ed Chigliak," he said, simply, extending his hand. 

"I got that much before," Richard replied somewhat "snappishly". "I mean, what are you doing here?" 

Ed slowly lowered his hand. 

"Richard," scolded Caroline. "Ed," she said gently, "we _are_ a little curious." 

"I told you," he said. "I'm here to help you face your demons." 

As Richard was about to protest Ed's presence again, Caroline's door burst open and in spilled Annie. A split second later an identical screech resonated from both sides of the room at once as the three cousins spotted each other. Richard flinched in surprise. The younger Spadaros jumped from the couch and met Annie at the door with arms spread wide and a chorus of laughter. 

"Omigod!" cried Annie. "I thought you guys weren't coming till tomorrow!" 

"Gee, thanks for paying attention," laughed Gwen. 

"Sorry," Annie said. "You know how I am. Sometimes I can't even remember my own name!" 

"Usually after you get hammered and bring your date home, whose name you usually don't even know in the first place," remarked Richard sourly. 

"Ignore him," Annie told her cousins, following her own advice and keeping her back to him. "Dr. Kevorkian over there--it's his mission to make your life a living hell. If you don't take him too seriously, you'll be fine." She missed the scowl that crossed Richard's face. "So how are ya doin'? I haven't seen you in forever! Like, 5 years, at least!" 

"We're great," offered Alex with a grin. "We had a great trip. We met Ed on the train," she said, indicating the tall man who stood patiently with his hands in his pockets. 

"Reeeeeeallllllllly?" purred Annie, sliding out from behind her cousins and approaching Ed with a smile. "Hi! I'm Annie," she said, offering her hand. 

"Nice to meet you," he replied, taking her hand. "Ed Chigliak." 

"Chigliak? That's an interesting name." 

Ed shrugged. "I'm a Native Alaskan. Well, half-Native, anyway." 

"Alaska? Wow. It must get pretty cold there, huh?" 

Gwen and Alex looked at each other and sighed. Annie was up to it again. 

"Yep," said Ed. 

"Are there, like, lots of Eskimos--" 

"Annie," cut in Caroline, "Ed was just explaining something to us when you came in and we're a little anxious to hear more about it, so if you don't mind..." 

"Oh, okay. Well, it was nice meeting you Ed," said Annie as she turned back to her cousins. "Well, you guys wanna hang at my place? There's not much room, but I still have that old record player, so we can listen to 'Saturday Night Fever' and eat Ring Dings like old times. Whaddya say?" 

"All right," said Alex and Gwen in unison as they gathered up their suitcases. 

"Ed, make sure to stop by before you leave so we can say goodbye," said Annie, giving him a wink and a smile. 

"Will do," he agreed. 

"See you later Caroline...and Richard," said Alex, saluting them. Nervously, Caroline returned the salute. "Come over any time." Richard only raised the corners of his mouth in a humorless, halfhearted attempt at a smile. Annie ushered her cousins into the hall then into her apartment. The door swung shut with a chorus of uproarious Spadaro laughter and the awkward silence hung above the three occupants of Caroline's apartment like a blanket. 

Both Caroline and Richard cast suspicious glances towards Ed, but he didn't seem to be bothered in the least. He'd apparently prepared himself for such reactions. He only smiled at them innocently. 

"So," said Caroline, breaking the silence, "why are you here? I mean why us? We don't even know you. Why did you come all the way from Alaska to help someone you never met?" 

"I know it's a little puzzling to you," agreed Ed. "I didn't expect you to just jump on the idea. But the truth is, you Called me." 

"I didn't call you," said Caroline. "At least I don't think so," she added more uncertainly, remembering the small woman she'd seen in the bathroom. 

"Neither did I," said Richard, with an equal amount of uncertainty. 

"But you did," disagreed Ed. "I was sitting on a rock next to the river one day, just listening to Nature, and...I got your message." 

"I'm not buying it," said Richard. 

"Self-doubt is strong," warned Ed. "I dealt with him myself. He's persistent." 

Richard shook his head. 

"He's annoying, he's whiny, and he's really hard to get rid of," continued Ed. "He's the Green Man." 

Richard's jaw dropped marginally and his eyebrows shot up. "What did you say?" 

"The Green Man," repeated Ed. "He goes by many names, but that's how I know him. Once he shows up, he never wants to leave. I have dealt with him before, so it shouldn't be as hard as last time." 

Richard looked positively ill. All of the color had drained from his face and he stared at Ed, motionless. "So it wasn't a dream?" 

"Do you mean that Peter Pan midget guy he saw was real?" questioned Caroline, enthralled. 

"Yep," replied Ed. Turning towards her, he said, "Meekness isn't as irritating as Self-doubt, but she hangs around just as much as he does. She is tiny and quick, and she keeps her distance. She's incredibly elusive and hard to catch." 

"The woman in the bathroom?" whispered Caroline. 

"She's good at hiding. She does all she can to avoid facing any type of demanding situation." 

Caroline sunk into the couch next to Richard, both of them appearing completely nauseated. Ed remained standing and watched the artists come to grips with the situation. They seemed to be taking it quite well; even better than he'd hoped. Even if they didn't completely believe him, at least he had their attention now. 

******** 

**Continued in Part Five**

******** 

Please visit my Caroline in the City webpage: [Sincere Amore][3]  
  


   [1]: mailto:ovaltine8@yahoo.com
   [2]: mailto:soitgoes@witty.com
   [3]: http://www.sincereamore.com/



	5. Part Five

Caroline and the Alaskan Frozen Tundra by Ann Fox and Sarah Stella

**Caroline and the Alaskan Frozen Tundra**  
A _Caroline in the City/Northern Exposure_ Crossover  
by [Ann Fox][1] and [Sarah Stella][2]  
1998  


**Winner of 1998 CitC fanfic mailing list contest: "Best Crossover fanfic"**

******** 

**Part Five**

******** 

"You gals sure know how to pick 'em," commented Annie as Alex and Gwen deposited their luggage on her apartment floor. "That Ed sure is a cute one." 

"You haven't changed a bit, Annie," said Gwen. 

Annie rewarded her with a big, toothy grin. "Well, it seems to be working for me. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?" 

"I guess," Gwen replied. 

"So, what's the deal with you and Richard?" Alex asked Annie. 

"Yeah," agreed Gwen. "You two seemed like you hated each other." 

Annie clicked her tongue. "Well, we don't exactly _hate_ each other. He's just so fun to pick on. I guess he feels the same way about me. He really is a nice guy, but he's always got that whole death cloud hanging over his head. It's nothing big--we just like to give each other a hard time." 

"Oh," said Alex. 

"So what exactly is going on between Richard and Caroline?" asked Gwen. 

"Ah," replied Annie, flopping down between the girls on the couch. "Well, it's all really complicated. All because of that slut Julia." 

"Who's Julia?" asked the girls in sync. 

"Richard's wife," Annie scoffed. "She's Italian, she's rich, and she's gorgeous. Three reasons she wouldn't be with someone like Richard. But she is." 

"Why?" asked Alex. 

"Who knows? _I_ don't get it. Anyway, she really is the only thing keeping Richard and Caroline apart. I don't know why he doesn't just dump the bitch and get on with it." 

"Ed said their demons were keeping them apart," Gwen pointed out. 

"Yeah, like I said, it's Julia," laughed Annie. 

"No, really," Gwen said seriously. "That's why he's here. He's trying to help them fight their demons." 

"No kiddin'?" said Annie. "Well, good luck to him, then. I always thought Richard's demons needed a little exorcising." 

The girls looked at each other and rolled their eyes. Gwen picked up the small plastic bag sitting next to her on the couch and examined its contents. "Hey, where'd you get this, Annie?" she asked. 

Annie took the bag from her and pulled out the metal ornament: a fish with legs, the center reading "Darwin". "They were sellin' them down outside Bloomingdale's. Five bucks apiece." 

"That's cool!" said Alex, jumping up and grabbing it out of Annie's hand. "I've seen those 'Jesus' fish on cars before, but I never saw a 'Darwin' one before." 

"What're you going to do with it?" asked Gwen. "You don't have a car." 

Annie shrugged as Alex handed it back to her. "I dunno. I just thought it was cool. Who knows where I'm gonna put it." 

Alex sat down at the piano and started tapping the keys. "Wow, your piano is in tune," she commented. 

Annie set the fish down and joined her on the bench. She hit middle C. "I know. Amazing, huh?" 

"Can you still play 'Don't Cry For Me Argentina'?" asked Gwen, her eyes hopeful. 

Annie scanned her brain for a moment. "I can try." Alex stood up to give Annie more room at the bench. Annie tested a few keys before finding the correct key to play the piece in. Her long and slender fingers flowed over the keys, playing the song's introduction as if she'd been practicing for weeks instead of the reality of the situation--she hadn't played the song for years. 

"I wish I had my sax," said Gwen sadly. 

Alex set her hand on Gwen's shoulder consolingly. "It won't be easy, you'll think it strange," she sang, her voice soft and mellifluous, "when I try to explain how I feel, that I still need your love after all that I've done." 

"You won't believe me," Gwen joined in. "All you will see is a girl you once knew, although she's dressed up to the nines, at sixes and sevens with you." 

"I had to let it happen, I had to change; couldn't stay all my life down at heel, looking out of the window, staying out of the sun. So I chose freedom, running around trying everything new, but nothing impressed me at all. I never expected it to," they sang. 

"Don't cry for me, Argentina," lilted Annie, taking the chorus, "the truth is I never left you. All through my wild days, my mad existence, I kept my promise. Don't keep your distance." 

The three female voices harmonized the rest of the song, Gwen and Alex taking the alto part, letting Annie sing the melody as they always had when they were younger. Musical talent ran in the Spadaro family, especially in the women. All of them had wonderful singing voices. 

When the song was over, Gwen turned to Alex and laughed. "I think Annie would make a good Evita, don't you?" 

"She's got part of the lifestyle down already," commented Alex. 

Annie nudged Alex in the arm. "Just watch it or you'll be out in the street." 

Alex smiled and sat down next to Annie. "Hey, I learned how to play 'Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats'," she said. 

"You didn't," moaned Annie. 

"Sure did," smirked Alex. 

The last time they'd been together, the girls had begged Annie to perform something from "Cats," but had been disappointed that there hadn't been music for her to sing and dance to. This time there was no getting out of it. 

"Well, all right," Annie decided, getting up from the bench. Gwen sat down at the piano with Alex as she played the song for Annie. They watched her excitedly, but soon the three of them ended up rolling around on the floor, giggling like preschoolers. It was as if they had never been separated by time or distance, as if they were still the carefree children they'd been ten years ago. 

******** 

"Why on earth should we go with you to Alaska?" questioned Richard. Ed had explained to them that the only way he could help them to ward off their demons would be to take them to his native environment, where he was in tune with Nature. 

"Do you want the Green Man hanging around you for the rest of your life?" asked Ed. "He's only going to get more annoying and harder to get rid of." 

"I still don't understand how you think that taking us to a cold, frozen tundra is going to help us get rid of an imaginary midget," whined Richard, "or a Tinkerbell clone." 

Caroline had become unusually quiet. Ed could see that Meekness had a stronger hold on her than he'd originally thought. Richard also seemed to be under the control of Mistrust, but he really couldn't blame the man. Most people had a difficult time accepting anything out of the norm. 

"I can't make you come with me," shrugged Ed. "But I _did_ come all the way out here to help you." Ed was hoping against hope that Richard was compassionate enough to be affected by his words. He really wanted to help them, but he couldn't do anything unless they wanted to be helped. 

No one spoke for a moment; Richard held his head in his hands exhaustedly as Caroline chewed on her lip nervously. "I'll be here for a few more days," said Ed. "Think about it for awhile." 

He turned around to leave, but Caroline called after him. "Where are you staying, Ed?" Richard looked at her exasperatedly, as if she were suddenly taking sides. "In case we want to contact you," she explained, more for Richard's benefit than Ed's. 

"I'm not sure," he admitted, sheepishly staring down at his black and white Converse tennis shoes. "I guess I could go find a hotel. I left on a whim, so I really didn't think that far ahead." 

Caroline stood up. "Why don't you stay here for awhile?" she asked. "I mean, who knows? Maybe you can help us here." 

Richard scoffed, as if she'd offended him with her offer. Ed smiled, despite Richard's reaction. "Thanks, Caroline. That's really nice of you." 

Richard shook his head in disgust. 

_He's going to be a tough one to deal with_, thought Ed, simultaneously contemplating Richard's demon and the man himself. _A tough one indeed_. 

"You can have the couch," said Caroline as Richard got up. "It pulls out to a bed." 

"Great," said Ed. 

"I'm going home," announced Richard wearily. "Julia's probably starting to worry and I have a monster of a headache." 

"Uh, okay, Richard," stammered Caroline. "See you tomorrow, then." 

A grimace contorted his attractive features once more before he slipped out the door, once again forgetting his portfolio on the couch. 

When he'd gone, Caroline sighed heavily as she played with the portfolio's zipper and turned to Ed. "He gets that way sometimes," she apologized. 

"He'll come around. Especially if he sees 'it' again." Ed nodded. "He seems to be as stubborn as his demon. That type of personality seems to attract the Green Man." 

Caroline shrugged. "Tell me something, Ed. You said that Self-doubt was after you once. How exactly did you get rid of him?" 

Caroline listened quietly as he recounted his story of the Green Man. When he had finished, she said, "You do realize how strange that sounds, don't you?" 

He nodded. "Of course. It's only human nature to be skeptical of the unknown." 

"You know, Ed, you sure seem to be wise for your age. How old are you?" 

"Twenty-four," he replied. "I've learned a lot from Leonard. He's a medicine man too; he's been teaching me about the ways of the shaman. Up until about two years ago, I didn't even think I had the gift. All I wanted to do was make films. I still do, but I've been investigating this whole spiritual thing and it seems to be the path I'm supposed to follow." 

"Wow," mused Caroline for about the tenth time that evening. 

"Ed?" she asked. 

"Hmm?" 

"How can we get rid of Meekness?" 

"Well, first she has to show herself. I won't be able to do anything until I'm able to meet her face to face." 

"So what do we do now?" asked Caroline. 

"Wait," said Ed, yawning. "And go to bed. I'm exhausted." 

******** 

Richard trudged through the door of the apartment he shared with his wife, Julia. A rustling from the kitchen greeted him. 

"Julia, honey, I'm home," he called. 

He was only answered by more rustling. "Julia?" he called, scuffling over to the kitchen. 

When he stepped into the room, he nearly had a heart attack. Instead of seeing Julia like he had expected, there on the floor, amid a sea of cellophane and bubblewrap, was the Green Man. 

"Richie," he said in a low, scratchy voice, his tone almost scolding, "You really oughtta keep this place cleanah. I can't even wohk aroun' heah." 

******** 

**Continued in Part Six**

******** 

Please visit my Caroline in the City webpage: [Sincere Amore][3]  
  


   [1]: mailto:ovaltine8@yahoo.com
   [2]: mailto:soitgoes@witty.com
   [3]: http://www.sincereamore.com/



	6. Part Six

Caroline and the Alaskan Frozen Tundra by Ann Fox and Sarah Stella

**Caroline and the Alaskan Frozen Tundra**  
A _Caroline in the City/Northern Exposure_ Crossover  
by [Ann Fox][1] and [Sarah Stella][2]  
1998  


**Winner of 1998 CitC fanfic mailing list contest: "Best Crossover fanfic"**

******** 

**Part Six**

******** 

Ever since he'd worked for her, Caroline hadn't once known Richard to show up on time, so he caught her completely by surprise when he arrived promptly at 9 o'clock the next morning. She was still in her fuzzy robe and slippers when the door banged open and there he was, dripping slowly onto her floor. 

"It's raining," he observed. 

"Oh my God, Richard!" Caroline exclaimed softly, her words accompanied by a sharp intake of breath. She shot one anxious look at Ed, but he was still sleeping soundly, curled up into a tight ball, the sheets twisted every which way around his limbs. Her primary concern, however, was Richard. The dark circles under his eyes looked like angry bruises and there was an alarming-looking bump at his temple. 

Instinctively, she ran forward, skillfully avoiding the unfolded sleeper sofa and touched cool fingers to the lump. Richard winced. "I wish you wouldn't do that, Caroline," he said, his voice utterly flat with exhaustion and something that sounded suspiciously like resignation. 

"Sorry," Caroline said, letting her hands fall to her sides, "I'm just concerned, that's all." She nervously tightened the belt on her bathrobe. 

Richard sighed. "I'd just rather leave it alone, if it's all the same to you. I think it actually hurts worse than it looks." He sat grimly on the arm of the couch. 

"What happened?" Caroline asked, seating herself next to him. Richard shook his head. "I had to spend the night in the hallway..." 

"Oh no," Caroline interrupted, "did you and Julia have a fight?" Of course she knew that really didn't explain the bump but a girl could dream, couldn't she? 

Richard let his eyelids fall shut. He shook his head gingerly. "I wish, but no. The Green Man, as Ed calls him, was in my apartment all night. He trashed the kitchen pretty good, criticized my housekeeping and I actually think he _did_ go through Julia's pantyhose drawer this time." Richard smiled wanly. Caroline answered him with a weak smile of her own. "I went out in the hallway to get away from him. Your floor is much softer than mine." 

A unexpected, sweet rush of memory came back to her as she recalled the events of a...year?...ago. 

"So, do you want to..." she didn't complete her thought, she just gestured to the sleeping Ed. 

Richard nodded in agreement. "Why not? I guess I've got some vacation coming and I hear Alaska is nice this time of year." 

"Good." Caroline reached down and shook Ed gently. 

He sprung out of bed with a start and looked at the two artists for a long, uncomfortable moment. "When would you like to leave?" he finally asked. 

******** 

Gwen, who'd always been a light sleeper to start with, was awakened at some ungodly hour by a heavy banging on the door. It had been a busy day, what with settling into Annie's apartment and getting used to the idea that she and Alex were actually _on their own_, and she had been grateful to get to sleep early for a change. Why did New Yorkers have to keep such hectic, stressful schedules? 

Groaning, she pulled herself out of the warm cocoon of her bright red sleeping bag and padded towards the door in sock-clad feet. On her way there, she nudged Alex's sleeping bag with one toe, waking her cousin almost instantly. 

The pounding came again. Gwen peered blearily at her watch while Alex undid the various complex locks--2 AM. 

"Ugh," she sputtered; her mouth felt full of cotton. 

"Seconded," Alex agreed, smacking her lips a couple times. "This better not be Annie or Angie or I'm gonna secede from the family," she added in a mumble. 

Gwen's eyes were closed and she looked for all the world like she was asleep on her feet. "Angie's out with Remo. Annie had a hot date with some guy named Seth. They won't be back till morning I'm sure." 

"So maybe it's a crazy ax-murderer come to chop us into little tiny bits as a warning to other west coast girls who have designs on NYU." Alex shrugged. The last lock clicked back and Alex opened the door. "Caroline!" She peered further into the hall. "Richard. Ed!" 

"What're you guys doing here?" Gwen asked, moving into the kitchen and pouring herself a glass of water. Without asking, she poured one for Alex and offered it to her. Alex gulped at it greedily and the apartment was silent for a time while the two girls drank. 

"Sorry to wake you," Caroline began, "I was looking for Annie..." 

"Out with Seth," the two girls chorused, setting down their glasses in unison. 

The eerie feeling slithered down Caroline's spine again. "Okay. When she comes home can you tell her that I'm gonna be gone for awhile..." 

"Alaska," Gwen said with perfect confidence. It wasn't a question. 

"Yeah, all we could get was a redeye. Anyway, ask her to look in on Salty and change the litter box and pick up my mail and stuff, okay? Tell her sorry for the short notice but it's kind of an emergency." 

"Will do," Alex affirmed, nodding. "Hey Ed, c'mere!" Ed obligingly moved into the apartment. Alex flung her arms around his neck and hugged him fiercely. With more reluctance than her cousin had shown, Gwen mimicked the gesture. "I guess this is it." 

"I guess," Ed replied. 

"Try to write," Gwen added. 

"I will. Maybe you two'll see some of my friends while you're here, Spike and Martin." 

Two sets of eyebrows went for the sky. "Maybe, it's a big city though," Alex finally responded. 

"I'll tell them all about you," Ed promised. 

"And if you see that jailbird, Chris Stevens, tell 'im Paul Cazzoni says 'Hi,'" Gwen said. 

"And that he has the Russian soul of Dostoevsky," Alex added. "You can't forget that," she said, addressing Gwen. 

"Will do." 

The three exchanged hugs again before the door shut. Alex locked up and both girls crawled back into their sleeping bags. 

"Y'know," Alex's voice was muffled by a huge yawn, "we never _did_ find out what kind of spirits we had." 

"Someday..." Gwen's voice trailed off as an answering yawn possessed her. 

Within minutes, they were fast asleep. 

******** 

It is a fact universally acknowledged by travelers everywhere that airline seats are absolutely impossible to sleep comfortably in. Caroline awoke with her feet jammed up against her tray table and her head resting against something warm and lumpy that grunted when she poked at it. 

"Stop it." Richard caught her inquiring finger and pushed her hand away. 

Confusion engulfed her for several minutes until she figured out where she was and why exactly she was there. Ed was folded up, neatly if not exactly comfortably, in the aisle seat. The rest of the airplane seemed to be waking up slowly as well, there were soft shufflings and mutterings coming from all around. Far down the aisle, the flight attendants were starting the breakfast service. 

Caroline stretched herself out as best she could. Surreptitiously she glanced at Richard. He had busied himself at the window, raising the blind. Sharp, light golden shafts of light sparked in through the window. Substantial-looking banks of clouds spread out beneath them on all sides. The ground was completely invisible and it was shaping up to be a lovely day above the clouds at least. 

Her musings were interrupted by one of the flight attendants asking her what she wanted in the way of juice that morning. Caroline opted for grapefruit and let her head sink back onto the seat. Her eyelids lowered again and the next thing she knew they were landing with a bumpety-jolt and the alarming roar of airplane brakes. 

She collected her carry-on and her warm juice and followed Ed as he exited the plane. Richard was behind her. He hadn't actually said two words to her the entire trip and his moodiness seemed to increase the nearer they got to their destination. She crossed her fingers and secretly hoped that that wouldn't continue much longer. 

Ed led the two artists to a battered but sturdy-looking pickup truck. 

"It'll be a little uncomfortable," Ed apologized while Richard and Caroline tossed their bags into the back, "but the airfield's not far." 

"What?" Richard asked slowly, momentarily rising out of his sullen moodiness. 

"The airfield. That's pretty much the fastest way into Cicely. But don't worry," he added hastily, noting the mild looks of apprehension that adorned Richard and Caroline's faces, "Maggie O'Connell's a great pilot. She's from Grosse Point, Michigan," Ed added, as if that would reassure them further. 

******** 

**Continued in Part Seven**

******** 

Please visit my Caroline in the City webpage: [Sincere Amore][3]  
  


   [1]: mailto:ovaltine8@yahoo.com
   [2]: mailto:soitgoes@witty.com
   [3]: http://www.sincereamore.com/



	7. Part Seven

Caroline and the Alaskan Frozen Tundra by Ann Fox and Sarah Stella

**Caroline and the Alaskan Frozen Tundra**  
A _Caroline in the City/Northern Exposure_ Crossover  
by [Ann Fox][1] and [Sarah Stella][2]  
1998  


**Winner of 1998 CitC fanfic mailing list contest: "Best Crossover fanfic"**

******** 

**Part Seven**

******** 

The roar of the small plane's propellers was so loud and jarring that Caroline felt like her jaw was coming unhinged. Maggie shouted things back to her passengers every few minutes that neither Richard nor Caroline could make out. Ed, however, seemed to catch every word. He nodded periodically and once even broke out into peals of laughter. 

Caroline was weary and sore by the time the small prop plane bumped a landing and glided to a stop. Maggie, her eyes alight with excitement, jumped out of the cockpit. Richard, Caroline and Ed followed her, but more slowly. 

"Fleischman's gonna be thrilled. He hasn't got his monthly New York fix yet and he's even more crabby than usual." Maggie smiled and tossed the two artists their luggage. 

"Fleischman?" Caroline asked, a little winded; her duffel had hit her squarely in the stomach. 

"Dr. Joel Fleischman. He's Cicely's G.P., a native New Yorker and a general pain in the butt." Maggie's words were harsh, but Caroline thought she caught a hint of softening around the edges when she spoke. 

"Sounds lovely," Richard said dryly. He hadn't spoken at all on the flight to Cicely and he looked even more wretched than he had when he'd shown up for work that morning. The circles under his eyes had deepened until they were almost black. 

"We can call our ride from the office," Maggie told them, ignoring Richard's gloomy tone with the practiced ease of one who deals with biting sarcasm on a daily basis. "I lent my car to Chris while I was gone," she explained in a general way, "his Harley's in the shop but he said we could call him and he'd come and pick us up." 

The group set off across the grassy airfield towards the office. They hadn't gone ten steps when a battered pickup truck came careening off the road and stopped in front of them with a muddy spray. 

"Fleischman!" Maggie's voice was filled with indignation. "What did I tell you about driving this hunk of junk on my airfield? You're ruining the grass." 

"Can you just chill out for a minute, O'Connell?" a combative voice called from inside the cab. Moments later, the door opened and a shortish man with well-cut features and curly black hair jumped down. He ran up to Richard and Caroline with an open zealousness that was a little terrifying but he stopped short of throwing himself at their feet. Instead, he pumped their hands. 

"Joel Fleischman. Boy, am I glad to see you." 

"Glad to meet you too." Caroline shot Richard an amused look but, finding him unreceptive, she directed it at Maggie who returned it. "I'm Caroline Duffy." 

"Richard Karinsky, charmed." Richard's tone indicated that his true meaning was precisely the opposite of what he'd said. 

Joel raised one eyebrow a fraction of an inch. His meaning was perfectly clear--'Well, _someone's_ been reading 'How to Make Friends and Influence People.'--Caroline noted this and stifled a giggle behind her hand. Joel beamed at her which only seemed to make Richard gloomier. 

"Look, I want us to get along. I'll take you to lunch at The Brick, my treat of course." Maggie cleared her throat rather loudly. "You're welcome to come too O'Connell." 

"I don't know if we have time for lunch," Caroline fretted, casting a look at Ed. "We're sort of here for a reason." 

Ed waved a hand in front of his face, dismissing Caroline's concerns. "I need some time to prepare." 

"So, Fleischman, are you gonna offer us a ride, or what?" Maggie cut in; she seemed to like the attention he paid her, even if it was negative. It rather reminded Caroline of middle school when little boys and girls who liked each other treated each other like dirt. She also seemed strangely on the defensive, for what Caroline had no idea. _Could it be because Joel is paying attention to me?_ she thought guiltily. It was utterly stupid, but then sometimes you didn't act the best around those you...loved? Caroline didn't know where she'd come up with the notion that Maggie was in love with Joel but it seemed to fit somehow. 

"Your chariot awaits," Joel said a touch sarcastically. With a grand, sweeping gesture he pointed to the cab. "It'll be a little squished," he said, his playful tone abandoned for one that was more apologetic. Richard and Caroline tossed their bags into the back and then climbed into the cab to sit beside Maggie and Ed. 

"I don't...oof...think this truck was built for this," Caroline observed as she shifted Ed's elbow out of one side of her stomach and Richard's out of the other. 

Joel flashed her another repentant smile as he started the truck, which ran remarkably well, given its appearance. They rode in silence for a while until Joel reached past Richard's knees and flicked on the radio. A man was speaking. His voice was soft and smooth with the barest hint of raspy undertones. 

"Golding himself aside for a moment, people, his themes abound in more modern forms like 'The Eight'. Beyond the actual writing, an important lesson that we can take from the two works is that of the macrocosm. Taking something small and blowing it up so all us regular Joes can see it. And on that note, I'm gonna play you something by the extremely talented Count Basie and his orchestra. I've always thought it was a macrocosm of _something_ and if I could figure out what that something was, maybe I'd be a happier person. Then again, maybe not." 

Caroline heard the crackling hiss of a record followed by the familiar upbeat strains of _'Jumpin' at the Woodside.'_

Meanwhile, the truck sped over the asphalt. It nimbly mounted a large hill and when they reached the crest, Caroline and Richard caught their first glimpse of the town of Cicely. Caroline snuck a glance at her assistant. For the first time in a while, Richard's expression actually seemed _happier_. 

Caroline quickly changed her mind as Richard began to squirm in his seat. Obviously, his expression was no display of contentedness, but actually closer to a grimace of irritation. He reached his right arm behind his back and began reaching around as if something was poking him. He managed to bang his shoulder into the window and knock Caroline square in the nose as he wriggled violently. 

"Uh!" they cried simultaneously. 

"Sorryyyy," replied Richard annoyedly as he continued to dig behind him, more concerned at that point with extracting the protruding object than with Caroline's well-being. Maggie and Ed both offered her words of comfort as Joel attempted to both observe the situation in the truck and watch the road in front of him. Finally, after several more moments of writhing, Richard pulled loose a small pair of blunt scissors--silvery metal blades with gray plastic handles. Richard stared at them with a mixture of confusion and uneasiness. "Who left the kindergarten scissors on the seat?" grumbled Richard. 

Joel took his eyes off the road for a moment to look at the scissors. "Not mine," he claimed. "O'Connell?" Maggie shook her head. 

"Why would I leave scissors in your truck, Fleischman? What would I possibly have been doing that I would have needed both a pair of kiddy scissors _and_ this rustbucket of a truck?" 

Joel rolled his eyes and rested his head on his fist, concentrating on driving rather than Maggie, who obviously had been put on this Earth for the sole purpose of annoying him. Ed reached over and held his hand out to Richard. Taking the scissors from Richard, he held them close to his face. "They're engraved," he observed as he tilted them in the light to get a better view. "Uncertainty," he read from the side of the blade. "Richie," he read as he flipped the scissors to the other side. 

"What?!" cried Richard in disbelief as he thrust his arm out towards Ed. Caroline shrank back in her seat as far as she could to get out of the way. "Let me see those!" Ed handed the scissors back to him, and he adjusted his glasses as he observed the cutting utensil. Flipping back and forth between the two sides, he scoffed. "They're not engraved," he said a touch angrily, as if Ed had been the boy who cried "scissors", and now Richard was upset that he'd believed Ed when he'd only been kidding. 

But Ed's face remained serious. "They _are_ engraved, Richard, but you just can't see it." 

Richard looked skeptical. "You're just messing with me." 

Ed shook his head. "Self-doubt," he reminded him. 

"Did he--?" asked Richard timidly. Ed nodded. "Yep. All his doing." 

The corner of Richard's lip curled up in an expression meant to convey his disgust. Maggie snorted to herself. "Elvis has left the building," she said as she looked at Richard. His eyes slowly moved towards her. Despite the annoyed look he shot at her, her lips remained frozen in an amused smile. 

_Smug woman_, he thought to himself with irritation. He returned his eyes to the scissors and kept silent for the remainder of the ride. 

******** 

At first glance, the few businesses and stores along Cicely's main street would have made the tiny town appear worn-down and deserted, except for a tall, burly man strolling lazily along the sidewalk and an elderly couple sitting out on a bench in the sun. The truck rolled quietly by the town's only laundromat, general store, and doctor's office, with Joel pointing out each in turn, making a less-than-subtle comment about his working conditions and his contract with the town. Just at the edge of vision, a wolf trotted across the cracked pavement, headed towards a trash dumpster along the side of a tall red building. As they drew nearer, Caroline's eyes focused on the neon sign above the doorway. "The Brick," she read. 

"They've got great food here," commented Joel. 

"Hope you guys are as hungry as I am," said Ed, "because I'm gonna order us all a moose burger. Better than caribou, better than deer, and it _doesn't_ taste like chicken!" 

Richard glanced warily at Caroline and noticed immediately that she bore the same look of disgust as he did. Richard really wasn't much of a fan of burgers, especially those made from wild animals he'd never before seen outside of a television set, but, to tell the truth, if he hadn't been offered such "rustic" cuisine, he would have been disappointed, as he had expected every accommodation to be _unaccommodating_. Joel parked the truck across the street and hopped out. Richard shoved the passenger side door open and spilled out with Caroline close behind. Maggie and Ed clambered out Joel's side, and Ed slammed the door, its hinges emitting a harsh squeal. After stretching his tired and cramped limbs for a moment, Richard repeated the action. 

"You guys coming?" called Joel from across the street, where he already stood next to Maggie and Ed. Caroline and Richard exchanged another wary glance before trudging exhaustedly across the pavement. 

Maggie pulled open the heavy door as the five of them entered the bar. Cigarette smoke clouded the room just as it did every other bar in America, and hard rock played on the jukebox. On the far end of the room, a television near the ceiling was tuned to a hockey game and two men, one extremely burly and so hairy he could have passed for an ape, and the other relatively clean-cut and decent-looking, were arguing loudly across the bar, occasionally gesturing to the set. 

"I told you, Hayden, this is _my_ bar, and I'll play what I like!" yelled the cleaner of the two, who was obviously the bartender. "If I want to watch the Discovery channel, that's what we're all goin' ta watch. If you don't wan' to follah my rules, then you can _leave_!" He made a wild gesture towards the door, then craned his neck to see who his new patrons were. Hayden waved the man off and moved to a seat farther down the bar, muttering under his breath. 

As the five of them approached the bar, Maggie smiled and called out. "Hey, Holling!" 

"Maggie?" he called back, still squinting into the dimly lit room. 

"We brought you some new customers," said Joel. As they reached the bar, Maggie motioned for Richard and Caroline to have a seat. Each tired, red barstool was in as bad of shape as the next, so Richard shrugged and sat down on one gently, half-afraid it would buckle under his weight. It held him fine, and he exhaled silently with relief. 

"So, what can I do you folks for?" Holling asked as he looked the New Yorkers up and down. Caroline opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Ed. 

"They'll both have the moose burger with a side of chili fries and a glass of Sprite." 

Holling raised his eyebrows at Richard and Caroline, as if to challenge Ed's request. "That all right with you?" 

Caroline cleared her throat and nodded. "Yes, that's fine." 

"Fine," echoed Richard. 

"Have it ready for ya in a coupla minutes," Holling said as he moved to the back. "Eugene!" he called from behind the ice machine. "We need two number fives with a side of chili fries!" 

"Comin' right up," called a disembodied voice, which most likely belonged to Eugene. 

Caroline and Richard sat uncomfortably on the stools, their posture much like a wooden plank. From behind them, Joel slapped a hand on their shoulders and said, "There aren't many digs like this in the big city, are there, huh?" 

Richard looked back at Joel. His grin was still a little _too_ excited, Richard noted. Almost like the grin of a psychopath. Squinty eyes and lips whose corners pulled way up into the middle of his face. Yes, this man was definitely unbalanced. Richard merely nodded and replied, "Starbucks is about as rustic as we get." 

Joel grinned wider, if it was possible and turned to Caroline. "I like this guy." Caroline smiled waveringly. "So where abouts are you guys from? I'm from Flushing. Queens." 

Before Caroline could answer, Holling returned with their sodas. "Two Sprites," he announced, setting down a napkin in front of each of them upon which he put the drinks. 

"Thanks," said Caroline quietly. 

"City girls still have manners," mused Holling. 

"Of course they do, Babe," came a voice from a few feet behind him. "What, do you think they're all mean and bitter witches like on tv?" 

"Hey-ya, Shelly," said Holling. 

"Who are the new folks?" she asked. 

"This is Richard and Caroline, here from New York City," offered Maggie. 

"Bitchin'!" she cried. "So are you guys, like, friends of Dr. F.?" 

"No," replied Richard. "Apparently Ed got a Call and he felt he needed to come and fetch us." 

"No kiddin'? Neat-o," she gushed with a smile. She hadn't seemed at all surprised by Richard's response. It appeared that everyone around here must be used to the idea of Ed as a shaman. Something about it still didn't sit right with him. 

With a carefully trained artist's eye, he observed the way Shelly's dark-blonde hair was pulled partway back on her head and the delicate features of her pretty face, but to his disappointment, he detected a sort of vacuous quality to her gaze. It wasn't an annoying, ditzy sort of vacuousness, but more of a sweet and endearing type. She sure looked....young. Not too young to be a waitress in a bar--she had to beat least twenty-five--but too young to be calling the bartender "Babe". Holling looked to Richard as if he were old enough to be Shelly's father, if not her _grandfather_. Something else about the situation unsettled him a bit, but just exactly what it was eluded him. 

"Shelly, honey, table five is wavin' for the check," said Holling. 

"'Kay. Nice meeting you guys," she said to Richard and Caroline. 

"Nice to meet you, too, Shelly," said Caroline. As Shelly disappeared into the main floor of the bar with a tray under her arm and a pad of paper in her hand, Richard rewarded her with the smile he'd given Ed when they'd first met. Something about her still _bothered_ him; it bothered him the same way the idea of Ed as a shaman did. But he didn't know _what_ it was. 

Before he could give it another thought, a bell dinged and the voice of the unseen Eugene called "Two number fives with chili fries!" 

Holling walked over to the order-up tray and brought two plates over to Richard and Caroline. Caroline stared down at her plate with wonder. The moose burger was absolutely _honking huge_ (as Annie might say) and the rest of the rather large plate--which was actually more of a platter--was heaped with greasy, delicious-smelling fries. She instantly knew there was no way in hell she was ever going to finish all of it, but nevertheless, she picked up a fry and nibbled on it. "Mmm. Not bad." 

"Now try the burger," said Ed excitedly. She noticed that all five of them, including Richard, were watching her in anticipation, as if she were a famous restaurant critic in a four-star establishment instead of a lonely New York cartoonist in a bar in the wilds of Alaska. Cautiously, she took a bite of the burger, more than aware of the five pairs of eyes watching her scrupulously. With the first taste, she decided it was definitely different than anything she'd ever tried before. It wasn't delicious by any means, but it was _okay_. And that's how she described it to her audience. 

Richard took this as a sign that it was edible enough for him, so he started in on his. He agreed with Caroline's assessment of the food. "It's _okay_," he agreed. 

"Well, that's wonderful," said Holling contentedly. "Can I get you anything, Maggie? Ed? Joel?" 

The three of them shook their heads. They seemed more interested in watching the city folk dine than satisfying their own appetites. Holling watched them eat for a few moments more before disappearing into the back. 

The meal passed in silence. Near silence, anyway. Maggie struck up a conversation with Ed about someone named Mike who apparently lived in a bubble, while Joel constantly pestered Richard with questions about New York. Richard answered them patiently until Joel started asking about the Yankees, when Richard stopped him and informed him he knew nothing about sports and wouldn't he mind leaving him alone?--he was trying to eat! Joel backed off dejectedly and seemed to almost _pout_ like a child. He was quiet for the remainder of the meal. Richard couldn't tell whether Joel was upset with him or whether he was just trying to think of more irritating questions to ask him. 

******** 

**Continued in Part Eight**

******** 

Please visit my Caroline in the City webpage: [Sincere Amore][3]  
  


   [1]: mailto:ovaltine8@yahoo.com
   [2]: mailto:soitgoes@witty.com
   [3]: http://www.sincereamore.com/



	8. Part Eight

Caroline and the Alaskan Frozen Tundra by Ann Fox and Sarah Stella

**Caroline and the Alaskan Frozen Tundra**  
A _Caroline in the City/Northern Exposure_ Crossover  
by [Ann Fox][1] and [Sarah Stella][2]  
1998  


**Winner of 1998 CitC fanfic mailing list contest: "Best Crossover fanfic"**

******** 

**Part Eight**

******** 

Gwen awoke the next morning to the soft murmur of the running shower. Alex's sleeping bag was rolled up tightly and set neatly at the foot of Annie's still-made bed, and the luminous green numbers on the digital clock read 10:13 AM. To Gwen, it still seemed pretty early to be getting up, but she knew that Alex normally got up with the sun, not wanting to miss a minute of the best part of the day--early morning. Gwen preferred the nighttime--staying up late and sleeping in late, but Alex preferred "early to bed and early to rise". She kept farmer's hours; that's what Gwen always said. 

Gwen got out of her sleeping bag and stretched her arms over her head. The two-AM wake-up call had been a little _too_ much for her already-tired body to handle, but she knew Alex was worse; she wasn't much of a traveler. As Gwen rolled up her sleeping bag, she heard the shower turn off. Moments later, Alex emerged clothed in a fuzzy red bathrobe and an aqua towel in her hair. 

"Morning," greeted Alex cheerfully. 

With a sigh that said _I could use a few more hours of sleep_, Gwen echoed, "Morning." 

"Did Annie come back this morning?" Alex asked. 

Gwen shook her head. "I don't think so. I don't think she has rehearsal or a matinee today, so she might be gone most of the day. I don't know about Aunt Angie, though. She didn't come home, either, as far as I know." 

"Hmmmm," mused Alex suggestively, her voice rising in pitch as she drew out the sound. Plopping down on the couch, Alex asked, "So what do you want to do today?" 

Gwen shrugged. "I dunno. We could just make it a day on the town. Like, go exploring and stuff." 

"That's what I was thinking," agreed Alex. "I've always wanted to see some of those famous places like the Empire State Building and Times Square and Central Park." 

"Me too. We might as well get our directionless meanderings done before school starts so when we _do_ need to go somewhere, at least we'll have some idea of how to get there." 

Alex was already rummaging through one of her smaller suitcases for some appropriate clothing. After a few moments of silence, she commented, "And I want to get one of those Darwin fish too." 

******** 

"Well," Ed said after Caroline and Richard had finished their lunches, "I think I had better be heading off now. I have a lot of work ahead of me and I think I could use a nap." 

"Good luck, Ed," said Maggie. Ed smiled in thanks and started for the door. 

"As soon as I know it's time, I'll call you guys at Maurice's, 'kay?," he said, looking Caroline in the eye, then shifting his gaze to Richard. 

"Maurice's?" repeated Richard with much confusion. 

"Oh," realized Ed. "I forgot to tell you. You're gonna be staying with Maurice Minnifield. He has a real nice place--really big, well-heated, the whole nine yards." 

"But I have to warn you," cut in Joel, "he's a little arrogant at times, so make sure you get on his good side right away. Kiss up to him. Don't dare say anything he'd find the _least bit_ demeaning, or you'll be out on your behind faster than--" 

"Fleischman, not everyone has to resort to such lowly displays of false admiration," Maggie interrupted, eliciting a dirty look from Joel. Turning to Caroline and Richard, she said, "Whatever you do, don't say you've never heard of him. He hates when people don't recognize him. All you need to know is that he was an astronaut for NASA. Just remember that much and you'll be fine. Although," she added, "since you are guests in our town, he might not go as hard on you, especially since you're from New York." 

"And make sure to compliment his food," said Joel. "He loves to entertain but can't stand to have his guests disappointed in the slightest way." 

"He sounds like a wonderful man," commented Richard dryly. Maggie raised an eyebrow at him. "Just make sure to leave the sarcasm at the front door. I probably don't have to tell you that he doesn't have much of a sense of humor." 

Richard's sour expression didn't change; he just looked at her and shrugged. Somehow her comment seemed to be directed more towards Fleischman than towards himself. He supposed the whole thing had passed right over Joel's head. "I'm going then," piped up Ed, who stood patiently off to the side. "See you guys later." 

He was answered with a chorus of "good-bys" and "laters". 

"If you two are ready, we can take you out to Maurice's now," offered Maggie. "Right, Fleischman?" 

Joel seemed to be holding some sort of grudge over Maggie that went deeper than her most recent dig towards him. Ignoring her somewhat, he nodded brightly in the direction of Richard and Caroline. "No problem." 

He whipped out his wallet and slapped a ten down on the counter. "We're off then." 

Caroline stood up and began to follow Maggie and Joel, with Richard close behind when a voice piped up from behind. "Aw, naw, naw, naw, naw." Holling stood behind the bar holding Joel's ten between his index finger and thumb. "Fleischman, this one was on the house." 

"Really?" replied Joel somewhat excitedly. Maggie elbowed him in the back. "Uh, no Holling, go ahead and keep it." 

"Naw, Fleischman, I insist." 

Despite Maggie's hostile glare, Joel shrugged and retrieved the money from Holling. Turning back to his fellow New Yorkers, he said, "I'll buy you guys something at Ruth Anne's, then." 

"That's okay," said Caroline. 

"Yeah," agreed Richard. "We're actually pretty tired too. We wouldn't mind getting somewhere where we could lie down for a few hours." Caroline, although desperately tired, was sort of dreading going to sleep for fear that she'd awaken somewhere strange, unaware of what had happened the previous evening. (Or afternoon, as the case would be.) All other things aside, she really was only afraid of one thing (well, actually two)--the demons. Both hers _and_ now Richard's. Would sleeping in the same house as he bring her into contact with his demon and vice versa? Part of her was curious while the other wanted no part in any experiment that would prove anything either way. Joel slapped Richard on the back. "Okay, then. We're out of here _now_. Thanks, Holling." 

"See yih folks later," called Holling. 

"Bye," they called as they muddled through the front door of the Brick. 

******** 

The huge log cabin seemed miserably out of place in the tree-studded, snowy Alaskan wilderness. Sheds and other equipment housings spread out across the property and a tangle of power lines shot in from the poles above the gravel road. The cabin looked warm and inviting, yet something about it seemed a little forlorn to Caroline, like it was well-lived in but its inhabitant led an unhappy and lonely life. 

Joel's truck was still terribly uncomfortable with four occupants rather than five, but at least there was room to breathe normally. Caroline found it interesting how quickly they seemed to travel from a slightly populated area to one of near desertion. Maurice's home wasn't too far from town with all things considered, but it _seemed_ like his property was the only thing for hundreds of miles, with only snow-covered evergreens standing as far as the eye could see. 

Joel pulled into the cabin's driveway and jumped out. "O'Connell and I will get your bags," he offered. "You guys just go up and wait by the door." 

"Thanks," said Caroline. 

Maggie and Joel grabbed the luggage from the bed of the truck, ignoring each other with practiced ease, as Richard and Caroline slid out of the truck and headed for the porch. 

"You guys pack pretty light," Maggie commented. 

"Maybe I should have packed more," Caroline mused worriedly. "I didn't know Ed needed time to prepare for this." 

"Oh, don't worry, Caroline," comforted Maggie. "It won't take him long. He'll know within a few days, if not a couple hours." 

"Really?" asked Richard hopefully as Joel rang the doorbell. 

"Oh, sure. I really don't know much about the whole shaman bit, but I do know that Ed is getting very good at it. And I guess he's dealt with this sort of thing before, so that should make it easier." 

A hawk or some other type of large bird squawked from somewhere behind the bulidings--an angry and cautionary cry. Caroline shivered. A shuffling sound came from behind the wooden doors and soon one swung open, revealing a middle-aged man with drooping jowls and a stomach that hung over his beltline. Wrinkles at the corners of his mouth and eyes gave him the appearance of a man who had suffered a trying life and was aging prematurely, but Richard (who was quite observant when it came to judging people, based on his own life experiences) was struck with the impression that his hardships had been mostly self-inflicted. The man's scowl soon transformed into a welcoming smile when he realized who was on his porch. "Maggie! Fleischman! I wasn't expecting you for another three hours." 

"Oh, sorry, Maurice, but our travelers are a little tired. They took the redeye from New York," Maggie explained. 

"That's perfectly fine," Maurice said, opening the door wider. "Why don't you bring all of that stuff on in here and we'll get you two set up?" 

The four of them hunkered into the cabin. The minute she stepped inside, Caroline marveled at the beauty of the building. Hanging above the fireplace were several stuffed animal heads with much of the rest of the walls covered in expensive original oil paintings. Pictures of Maurice as an astronaut hung in custom frames throughout the home. The floors were covered in designer carpeting and shiny, polished hardwood upon which sat posh designer furniture. The latest in entertainment technology covered most of one wall of the den, including a projection TV and a high-quality stereo system. It was almost too much for Caroline to take in at once. 

"This is absolutely......beautiful," she gushed in awe. 

"Oh? You like it?" Maurice raised his eyebrows, pleased. "Built 'er from scratch, I did. Well, me and about thirty carpenters from Anchorage. But who wants to quibble over details, eh?" The last part was directed towards Richard, and even though he was just as amazed by the place as Caroline, he chose not to show it. "What is your name again, darlin'?" he asked Caroline. 

"Caroline Duffy." 

"Oh--right!" Maurice said, clapping his hands together. "You do that cartoon." 

"_Caroline in the City_," offered Richard. 

"And you are...?" 

"Richard Karinsky." 

"Our little friend Ed was a little confusing over the old telephone. I didn't catch your names the first time; all I knew was you folks were shackin' up here and I was supposed to put you up for a few nights." Caroline noticed that Maurice's consonants were unusually enunciated. "Well, my friends, _mi casa es su casa_, if you know what I mean. You go have yourselves a nice nap and we'll have ourselves a good, hearty dinner. How's that sound?" 

"Great," said Caroline. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Minnifield," she said politely. 

"Likewise, likewise. You too, Monsieur Noir," he said, indicating Richard. His French accent needed a _lot_ of work. 

"Indeed," Richard said quietly. 

Maggie and Joel set the bags down by the door. Maggie shot Richard a look that he read perfectly. He'd almost forgotten what she'd said about the sarcasm; when one used sarcasm on a basis as regular as Richard, it was a hard habit to break. He widened his eyes slightly to indicate that he had caught her meaning. "Well, we're gonna leave you two here then," said Maggie. "If you need anything, just give us a call. Maurice has both of our numbers." 

"Thanks for the ride, Joel," Caroline said. 

Richard nodded in agreement. "Yeah, thanks." 

"No prob. And Richard--as soon as you feel like talking baseball, give me a call. Or if you want to play a few holes of golf...?" There was a hint of hopefulness and perhaps a mild plea in Fleischman's tone. 

"Sure," said Richard, meaning what he said, but knowing full well that he wouldn't follow through with it. With a flurry of good-bys, Maggie and Joel left, and both Richard and Caroline's feelings of exhaustion seemed to heighten. Caroline stifled a yawn. 

"Well, I'll get you two set up in a room. Why don't you grab your stuff and follow me." 

"Excuse me," said Richard. "Did you say _a_ room?" Maurice looked baffled. "Yeah, of course. _A_ room. Aren't you two together?" 

"Not in _that_ way!" scoffed Richard a little too loudly. Caroline looked hurt. 

"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you two were a couple. Well, my mistake. I do have extra rooms, so you don't _have_ to stay together." 

"It's okay, Mr. Minnifield," Caroline apologized, feeling somewhat guilty for Richard's outburst. "That's why we're here anyway. To try to remedy that situation." 

Maurice looked doubtful. "Well, good luck to you. And you can call me Maurice. I don't need any of that fancy-schamncy formal gibberish." 

Secretly, he was pleased with Caroline's politeness. Because of what Maggie had told Caroline earlier, Caroline could see it in his eyes where she otherwise might have missed it. Caroline and Richard picked up their luggage and followed the former astronaut to the stairs. Something told each of them that it was going to be one _long_ night. And it was only one in the afternoon. 

******** 

**Continued in Part Nine**

******** 

Please visit my Caroline in the City webpage: [Sincere Amore][3]  
  


   [1]: mailto:ovaltine8@yahoo.com
   [2]: mailto:soitgoes@witty.com
   [3]: http://www.sincereamore.com/



	9. Part Nine

Caroline and the Alaskan Frozen Tundra by Ann Fox and Sarah Stella

**Caroline and the Alaskan Frozen Tundra**  
A _Caroline in the City/Northern Exposure_ Crossover  
by [Ann Fox][1] and [Sarah Stella][2]  
1998  


**Winner of 1998 CitC fanfic mailing list contest: "Best Crossover fanfic"**

******** 

**Part Nine**

******** 

Inside his small and lonely cabin, Ed sat down on his rickety old bed and stared thoughtfully at his framed and autographed print of Woody Allen's "Sleeper". His eyes became unfocused and glassy as he contemplated the best way to go about _it_. What _would_ be the best way to approach the situation? 

Ed knew the Green Man; he knew him a little better than he wished to. While it was going to be up to Richard to beat him, Ed knew his role was just as important--initiating the encounter. Meekness, however, he was not as familiar with; he'd never had to deal with her personally. Meekness often worked in tandem with Self-doubt, and Ed found it somewhat unusual that neither the cartoonist nor her colorist were being plagued by the other's demon. As he thought about it, there really didn't seem to be any one outstanding way to solve the problem. What he needed to do was to get Caroline and Richard in the same room with their demons--to simply acknowledge their presence. That was the most important thing. Ed knew that both Richard and Caroline had realized what was happening to them, but he wasn't sure if they'd ever tried forcing their demons to show themselves. 

Perhaps they were too afraid. 

"Step one," muttered Ed to himself as he considered this. "What then?" 

While he didn't receive an answer right then and there, he was at least comforted by the idea that he'd sent the right energy out into the universe. Now all he had to do was sit back and wait for a reply. 

******** 

Shut away in separate bedrooms connected by an adjoined bathroom, Caroline and Richard found themselves too exhausted to even think, and drifted off into sleep just moments after their heads hit the pillow. Caroline had expected to be plagued by visions of tiny elfin women and little green men, but to her shock, she awoke alert and refreshed sometime around 5:30 P.M. Richard, likewise, had expected the same, but napped peacefully and without incident. Caroline walked over to the bathroom door and knocked gently just to be sure Richard wasn't inside. When there was no answer, she stepped inside and closed the door. 

From the comfort of the box-spring oak bed, Richard listened to the running water as Caroline went about her business. 

Decisively, he got out of bed, went over to the mirror above the dresser and glanced briefly at his reflection. A little disheveled, but after running his hands through his sandy hair once, he felt presentable enough. He grabbed his shoes and went downstairs. When Caroline finished in the bathroom, she quietly pressed her ear to the door leading to Richard's room, listening carefully for any signs of movement. Hearing nothing, she assumed he must still be asleep. She left through her own door and headed downstairs, thinking that perhaps Maurice had dinner ready. 

Maurice was sitting in the den in a black leather La-Z-Boy watching C-Span on his projection TV when Richard appeared in the doorway. Perceiving a movement out of the corner of his eye, Maurice looked up. When he saw Richard, his face completely transformed; the scowl which almost _had_ to be his regular expression shifted into a silly grin as he stood. Hitting mute on the television, he walked over to Richard. "Have a nice rest, my boy?" 

Richard nodded. "It was good." 

Maurice slapped him on the back. "Well, that's great. Is your little lady friend out of the sack yet?" 

Gritting his teeth through the obvious innuendo, Richard simply replied, "I don't know." 

Maurice pushed him gently toward the stairs. "Well, how's about you go find out, then? As soon as she gets her little behind down here, we can have some dinner." He went off towards the kitchen. 

A little annoyed at the man's demeanor but hungry enough to ignore it, Richard agreed and started for the wooden steps. Just as he was about to begin the climb, Caroline appeared at the top. 

"Oh, hey, Richard," she said, her voice thick with the effects of sleep. "I thought you were still asleep." 

She started down the stairs. "No. I just got up," he replied. "Supper's ready." 

Smiling, she exclaimed, "Great! I'm starving." 

"Me too," Richard agreed. 

Maurice joined them. "Well, folks, we have a lovely filet mignon." Once again, his French accent was so lacking that Richard (who held an inherent loathing towards the French as a people) was taken slightly aback. It seemed to him that Maurice probably had no idea that the words he was pronouncing were even part of a language other than English. He remembered what Maggie had said--in a nutshell: don't piss him off. He got the feeling Maurice wouldn't give a rat's ass if he brought it up anyway, so he kept his mouth closed. "And," continued Maurice, "as a special treat for you, we have caviar. And of course, a bottle of the finest grape juice from 1929." 

Caroline's eyes widened. She'd never had such hospitality from a stranger. It was almost too overwhelming. 

"Come in and have a seat in the dining room and we'll have you fed in no time." 

Richard and Caroline dined pleasurably with Maurice, making small talk about the marvels of living in New York City, the success of her comic strip, and what it was like to travel in space. After complimenting Maurice's fine cuisine, Caroline and Richard were rewarded with an offer of a few games of pool in the billiard room. Having left the table with full stomachs and a renewed feeling of exhaustion, they politely declined. The consensus was an early trip to bed for all of them, and they retired to their respective rooms. 

"G'night, Richard," Caroline said outside her bedroom door. 

"Night, Caroline," he replied softly. Then, as an afterthought, he added, "I'm glad you dragged me up here." 

"Well, hey if it takes that much discomfort to fly 100,000 miles for a free taste of grape juice and whale, it's worth it, wouldn't you say?" 

Smiling, he nodded. "See you tomorrow." He disappeared into his room and shut the door gently behind him. 

Caroline did the same, and as she undressed, she realized that she hadn't had a shower in about thirty-five hours. Her hair and skin felt a little oily, but she was too exhausted to move, let alone stand up for much longer, so she decided it could wait until the morning. Without another thought, she slid underneath the rumpled sheets and was out like a light. In the bedroom next door, Richard had also succumbed to sleep. Maurice lay awake downstairs, cursing his insomnia and thinking about what he was going to serve his guests for breakfast. He was feeling somewhat out of his element with all the hospitality he was showing these New Yorkers, and part of him wondered what had come over him. 

******** 

Alex and Gwen spent the day shopping and sightseeing all over the city, but it was the people-watching that fascinated Alex the most. Not having grown up in a big city the way Gwen had, she was amazed at the diversity of the city's inhabitants. Despite this enchantment, she felt completely out of place. "I don't think I can live here," she confessed to Gwen in Times Square. 

Gwen put her arm around her cousin. "Don't worry about it, Alex. It just takes some getting used to." 

"Are you sure? I mean, this place is extremely cool, but I don't feel like there's any place for _me_ here. Does that make any sense?" Alex asked. 

"Sure; it makes lots of sense. But you've only been here a day. And you aren't alone, so that should give you _some_ peace of mind." 

"See," argued Alex, "that's just the thing. You can't very well walk down the streets here alone without worrying about getting murdered and raped and whatever else the psycho who catches you is creative enough to come up with. Even walking with you, I still feel that way. I keep checking my pocket every five minutes to make sure some pickpocket hasn't run off with my wallet." 

Gwen shrugged at her cousin. "Just try not to think about it. Besides, what do you have in that wallet that any thief would find valuable?" 

Alex scrunched up her nose. Gwen was right; she didn't have a whole lot. "That isn't the point," she proclaimed. "It's the principle of the thing." 

Gwen laughed. "Alex, just relax. People are going to know you're not a city girl from your posture alone. And...breathe!" 

Alex exhaled loudly. "I'm sorry, Gwen. I just can't help it. She looked around at the passers-by anxiously. "Do you wanna just go home and order a pizza or something and come back tomorrow? I'm getting a headache. And I couldn't find my Darwin fish." 

Gwen nodded. "Okay. But tomorrow I'm going to show you some of the essentials of living in a big city, so be prepared." 

"Fine," agreed Alex. The muscles in her shoulders relaxed a bit as they headed back to the subway. 

"Maybe tomorrow Annie can take us around," suggested Gwen. "She knows more about the city than either of us." 

"That's assuming she ever comes home from her rendezvous with Seth," Alex commented. "You know," she mused, "Annie has gone out with tons of guys." 

"Well, that's the understatement of the year," Gwen interjected, laughing. Alex raised her eyebrows in annoyance at being interrupted. "Go on," said Gwen. 

"Thank you," said Alex sarcastically. "Anyway, I was saying that she keeps talking about Seth like he's the greatest thing that's ever happened to her. I've never heard her talking serious about _any_ guy before." 

"Yeah, you're right," realized Gwen. 

"Do you think they're serious?" Alex wondered. 

"Maybe," Gwen said. "Although, I somehow have trouble picturing Annie married, if that's where you're going with that." 

"Annie wouldn't be wearing white on her wedding day, that's for sure," said Alex with a chuckle. Gwen laughed too. The girls boarded the subway in companionable silence, listening to the bustle of the passengers around them. When the train pulled away from the station, Alex asked, "Gwen? Do you think Ed was cute?" 

Smiling evilly, Gwen drawled, "Of cauhhhse, my dahhhhling." 

Alex rolled her eyes. "I wonder if he has a girlfriend." Gwen turned serious for a moment. "You know, he really doesn't seem like the type of guy who spends a lot of time worrying about romance." 

"True," agreed Alex. "He has lots of other more important things to worry about. Plus, he seems kind of shy." 

"And you know," said Gwen thoughtfully, "if he already battled the demon of Self-doubt, he was probably even more introverted before." 

Alex took a moment to consider this. "I wonder how they're all doing up there in Alaska." The girls looked each other in the eyes and at that instant they came to a mutual understanding. They knew *_exactly_ how things were going for Richard and Caroline, and for their kindred spirit, Ed. 

******** 

**Continued in Part Ten**

******** 

Please visit my Caroline in the City webpage: [Sincere Amore][3]  
  


   [1]: mailto:ovaltine8@yahoo.com
   [2]: mailto:soitgoes@witty.com
   [3]: http://www.sincereamore.com/



	10. Part Ten

Caroline and the Alaskan Frozen Tundra by Ann Fox and Sarah Stella

**Caroline and the Alaskan Frozen Tundra**  
A _Caroline in the City/Northern Exposure_ Crossover  
by [Ann Fox][1] and [Sarah Stella][2]  
1998  


**Winner of 1998 CitC fanfic mailing list contest: "Best Crossover fanfic"**

******** 

**Part Ten**

******** 

Caroline awoke with a painful start and glanced at the clock: 4 AM. She groaned a little and tried to burrow deeper into her pile of blankets, but it was no use; once she was up she was up. Casting a suspicious glance around the room for any flitterings of pink or green (and finding none), Caroline swung her feet to the floor. 

The sweats she'd put on for PJs were rumpled with sleep. The hardwood floor felt shockingly icy under her bare toes and she gasped softly. Vaguely, she wondered what'd awakened her. The moon was bright through her window; she'd forgotten to draw the curtains. Outside, the forest of evergreens surrounding the house spread darkly and mysteriously away as far as she could see. Living in New York for so long, Caroline had almost forgotten the magic of the deep woods by night. She was nearly knocked flat by an impulse to go outside and just _walk_. 

_Maybe Richard would like to...._ She turned toward the connecting door and there she was: Meekness with a sly little smile on her tiny porcelain face. Caroline cast an anxious eye at the door and then looked back to the demon. 

"I just want to walk. It'd be nice." 

"He wouldn't want to go with you," Meekness replied. Her voice sounded like the faraway tinkle of wind chimes. 

"He might. He's my friend after all. I got him to Alaska, didn't I?" 

"He needed to come," the demon said, "to exorcise his own demon; Self Doubt, damn him and his arrogance. Richard was looking out for number one." Caroline tried to block out the voice by pressing the heels of her hands against her ears but it was no use. "What do you have that he'd want? Do you think he'd even be your friend if you didn't pay him to be?" 

Staggering a little, Caroline whirled, blindly shoved her bare feet into a pair of flat-soled clogs, and raced out of the room. Meekness's high, piping laughter followed her. 

******** 

Richard awoke with a painful start and glanced at the clock: 4:20 AM. The voices from Caroline's room had disturbed him and he lay still, listening to the angry sounds floating through the bathroom. One of the voices was becoming weaker as the other one rose in shrill anger. Finally there was the sound of a door closing on the soft side of a slam and the patter of running feet on carpet. Richard carefully crept out of bed, pulled a sweater over his pajamas, and slipped into a pair of shoes. Grabbing a coat, he followed the argument's loser. 

Suddenly he realized why Shelly had made such an awkward impression on him. He stopped in mid-stride and sighed. Memories of one of his many failed romances drifted back into his head as he thought about the ditzy brunette named Shelly who he'd tried so desperately to rid himself of one Christmas a few years earlier. Even then he'd been in love with Caroline, but denial had forced him into the arms of the first willing female. Was this tension and tug-of-war between he and Caroline _finally_ going to reach a turning point? 

******** 

The front door squeaked a little when Caroline opened it and fled out into the welcoming arms of the Alaska night. She had gotten about fifty paces from the house when a pair of hands settled on her shoulders. Caroline cried out but her voice was muffled when one of the hands snaked around and clapped over her lips. 

"Shhhh!" 

"Richard? What are you doing here?" 

"I might ask you the same thing." 

"I...I just wanted some fresh air. The woods are so nice." 

"Lovely, dark and deep," he agreed. "Maybe less so at 4:30 in the morning." 

She smiled sheepishly at him and he returned the expression shyly. "Anyway," she cleared her throat and replaced the smile with an expression she hoped was a little more businesslike, "I was just going for a walk. There aren't any woods in New York, at least none that you won't get mugged in." 

"Very true," Richard agreed. He held his jacket out in her direction. "You look like you could use this." 

"Oh, Richard, I don't want to...you'll be cold then." 

"I've got a sweater. I'll be fine. Pain is good for art, remember?" 

Gratefully, Caroline accepted the jacket, zipping it up to her chin and then tucking her hands into the long sleeves. "Much better. Thank you, Richard." 

He raised a hand towards her face and for a breathless minute Caroline thought he was going to touch her but at the last second he pulled away. No sooner had he done so than a voice floated towards them over the quicksilvered lawn. 

"Richie!!" 

"Oh God." Richard clapped a hand to his forehead and shook his head slowly. Moments later, the Green Man came puffing up to the pair. 

"Whaddya tryin' ta _ditch_ me? I ain't just chopped liva heah!" 

"What about me? You enormous, conceited thing?" demanded another voice. 

"This isn't happening," Caroline moaned, edging away from Meekness and towards Richard. 

"'Fraid so, Sweetcheeks," Meekness chirped happily. "I thought you two would try to sneak away." 

"_I_ thot," Self Doubt broke in. 

Meekness stamped her tiny foot, sparks falling from under her shoe where it hit the ground. "No, if I had meant _you_ I would have said it." 

The Green Man flexed his fist. "If I weren't a gen'leman and you weren't two inches high..." 

"Is that a threat, you odious thing?" 

Caroline felt Richard tug gently on her elbow. "I think we'd better go," he whispered urgently, his breath a warm thrill in her ear. 

The two artists slipped quietly away into the woods while their demons argued loudly on the front lawn. Once they were inside the protective covering of the trees, Caroline turned breathlessly to Richard. 

"Maybe we can just outrun them," she gasped slightly. 

Richard looked at her critically as he continued to lead her deeper into the forest. "_Outrun_ them? Are you serious?" 

"Maybe," she ventured noncommittally. "Can you think of a better way?" 

"Have a seat," Richard said, gesturing to a moss-covered log. 

Caroline sat. "We can't just ignore them. We've got to do something." 

"We do," Richard agreed, sitting beside her. He tucked his arm through hers and she clasped his hand, rubbing it to warm him. 

"Can I make a confession, Richard?" Caroline asked timidly. 

He turned to face her, his eyes brilliant in the splashes of moonlight that made their way to the forest floor. "What is it?" his voice was a strained whisper. 

"I don't know what we're going to do." 

Richard's bated breath came out in a gigantic whoosh that waved Caroline's hair. "I don't know either, Caroline. I hope Ed comes up with something good." He disentangled his arm from Caroline's and put it around her waist, squeezing encouragingly. She returned the gesture and they sat there for a long while in the dappled shadows. Richard took a deep breath and turned once more to Caroline. "Say, do you really think..." 

"Think what?" 

"About what Ed said, about our demons, hating each other and that being the reason why we couldn't..." 

Their faces were inches apart. Caroline's tongue darted out of her mouth to moisten her suddenly dry lips. 

Suddenly there was a crashing and crackling from a clump of nearby bushes. Caroline half jumped off of the log, taking Richard with her. Fifty yards in front of them, Maggie O'Connell and Joel Fleischman emerged from the bushes. They too had their arms around each other. They were laughing and whispering with each other. When they caught sight of Richard and Caroline they sprang apart as if they'd been stung, with a general look of sheepishness about them. 

"Hey," Maggie offered, breaking the silence. 

"Top of the morning to ya," Richard replied, elegantly raising one eyebrow. 

"Where are you two coming from?" Caroline added, surveying their rumpled, leaf-strewn clothes. 

"We were...out, um, walking," Maggie said breathlessly. Joel put his face into her shoulder and started laughing hysterically. 

"O-kay," Caroline said. 

"Sorry," Joel said, clearing his throat. His face was still dangerously red. "We're just..." 

"Mutually Attractive Opposites," Maggie finished. She turned to Joel and shook her finger at him sternly. "Now we're _not_ going to repeat The Brick incident again, are we?" Joel shook his head so vigorously that Caroline was half-afraid it would fall off. Maggie jerked on Joel's collar and he made a small choking sound. "We were just going that way," she pointed. "We'll catch you two later." 

"Later," Caroline echoed as the couple drifted off into the darkness. 

"We've _got_ to get out of this town," Richard muttered. 

******** 

**Continued in Part Eleven**

******** 

Please visit my Caroline in the City webpage: [Sincere Amore][3]  
  


   [1]: mailto:ovaltine8@yahoo.com
   [2]: mailto:soitgoes@witty.com
   [3]: http://www.sincereamore.com/



	11. Part Eleven

Caroline and the Alaskan Frozen Tundra by Ann Fox and Sarah Stella

**Caroline and the Alaskan Frozen Tundra**  
A _Caroline in the City/Northern Exposure_ Crossover  
by [Ann Fox][1] and [Sarah Stella][2]  
1998  


**Winner of 1998 CitC fanfic mailing list contest: "Best Crossover fanfic"**

******** 

**Part Eleven**

******** 

Once you got into the swing of it, the city wasn't so bad, Alex had to admit. Secretly she got a charge out of needling Gwen the city-girl, but New York was unfolding for her like a flower. They had wandered the Village and SoHo for most of the morning before hopping a subway to the Met and exploring Central Park. Lunch had been a pair of brave half-smokes with mustard and sauerkraut from one of the many street vendors. 

"Ooh, _that's_ not sittin' well," Gwen complained, beating a tattoo on her stomach to emphasize her point. 

"And _that's_ gonna make it feel a _whole_ lot better, I'm sure," Alex told her dryly. 

"It couldn't make it feel worse," Gwen replied. "Can we sit down for a second? I feel dizzy all of a sudden." 

Alex was about to make a comment about wimpy urban girls when the dizziness hit her too. The world tilted, kaleidoscope-crazy, for a moment before falling into itself again. "Yeah, let's sit here." 

The two girls braced their backs against a big tree, enjoying the feel of soft grass under their fingertips. Alex felt her eyes grow heavy and in another instant she and her cousin were fast asleep. 

******** 

Gwen's eyes were fuzzy when she finally reopened them. Dusk had crept in on cat feet and curled around the sleeping girls. Blinking hard a couple times, she surveyed her surroundings: grass, trees, path, street vendor, and a medium-sized red dog. 

_Red?!_ Gwen looked closer. The 'dog' was actually a sleek red fox. It stared at her and she stared back. The fox sat down and curved its fluffy tail around its body. After a moment, the fox was joined by another which sat beside the first one. 

She nudged Alex. "Check it out!" she whispered as loudly as she dared. Alex didn't move. Gwen touched her shoulder again, this time receiving a small electric shock for her trouble. The foxes continued to watch the two girls with a benign interest that Gwen found a little uncanny. 

******** 

In her dream, Alex was soaring high above scores of fluffy cumulus clouds. After she had flown for awhile she dipped lower and searched the tree-covered ground below until she saw a solitary cabin. There she alighted, slipping down the chimney like an early Santa Claus. 

Somehow it didn't surprise her when she saw Ed, Richard, Caroline, and an attractively scruffy young man she didn't recognize at all, standing around a card table. And what was that in the corner? Those hints of shadows that seemed too green and too pink to be completely natural. 

The room was completely lit by hundreds of large, white pillar candles. Alex caught a whiff of spicy pine in the air emanating from several fresh-cut boughs that adorned the walls. 

"Come on," Ed was saying. "It's fair, I promise." 

"I don't even know _how_ to cheat. I don't think it's possible!" Caroline urged. 

"I just don't think it's fair," the pink shadow said. "It's just so childish. Even Death gets to play _chess_ with his mortals!" 

"I never learned how to play chess," Caroline said softly. "Sorry." 

"Two teams, right?" the pink smudge asked with a sigh. 

"Two teams." 

"Let's get a move on then," a loud, abrasive voice piped up from the green shadow. "We're just wastin' time heah." 

Ed pulled a medium-sized rectangular box out and placed it in the middle of the table. "Everyone knows how to play, right?" 

"What kind of morons do you take us for?" the pink shadow asked. "_Everyone_ knows how to play Scattergories!" 

Alex convulsed in silent, ghostly laughter. Ed's ears seemed to perk up. He turned and looked directly at Alex. She saw the flash of recognition in his eyes and he shook his head slowly at her. 

"One round," Ed said. 

"One?" Meekness demanded, stepping out of the shadows to take a seat at the card table. 

"If the Great Spirit has destined that Richard and Caroline are going to be freed from you two, then it will be done in one round." 

"What's he heah for?" asked Self Doubt, jerking a thumb towards the scruffy-looking, young man behind Ed. The demon took the seat beside Meekness. She scooted a little further away. 

Alex was overcome with curiosity. She dipped close to Ed's ear and whispered, "Say, what's the deal with those two anyway?" 

"They had a thing 500 years ago. It didn't work out and they both know how to hold a grudge," he whispered back. Aloud he said, "Chris is here to make sure nobody cheats." Richard and Caroline took the two seats opposite their demons. "Ready?" Ed asked Chris. 

Chris picked up the timer and wound it. "Ready," he affirmed, saluting Ed with two fingers. 

Ed picked up the many-sided die and rolled it around between his palms before dropping it onto the table with a soft thud. It tottered around before coming to a stop. "K," Ed read out loud. Chris clicked the start button on the timer and the two teams began. 

Alex felt her stomach lurch in anxiety for Caroline and Richard. They were crouched together, their heads almost touching as they conferred. She lowered herself carefully so she could hear what they said. 

"Okay, first category: writer," Caroline breathed. 

"Kafka." 

"Good one. No wait, Richard, this is your _demon_. He knows what you'd pick. We have to do something sneaky, something he'd never guess." 

"Ummmm." 

"Kerouac," Caroline suggested. 

"Good." Richard gave her elbow a comforting squeeze. "Second category: play." Richard thought for a moment before answering his own question. "Kiss Me Kate." 

"Good, double points." Caroline smiled at him warmly. "Third category: place." 

"Kalamazoo. Fourth category: something immature." 

"Kitsch. Fifth category: a springtime activity." 

"Kissing," Richard and Caroline said simultaneously, their voices blending in unconscious harmony. 

"Yeah, kissing," Caroline whispered after a beat of uncomfortable silence. They finished the rest of the categories in stifled quiet. 

The timer ticked down in a quick succession of loud clicks and the time came for the two sides to exchange answers. Chris tallied up the scores. Alex felt something tug on her and she sensed that it was time to go. 

Wraithlike, she drifted back up the chimney. She didn't really need to _see_ them win to know that Richard and Caroline had prevailed over their respective demons. That was how it was supposed to work out anyhow. Now everything lay in their _own_ hands. 

What would they do? Alex had no idea. All she knew was they didn't have the demons to hide behind any longer, and that was a comforting thought. That meant that they were one step closer to each other, but ultimately they were the only people who could take that last step. Alex hoped fervently that they would. 

The next thing she knew her sleepy eyes were flying open to meet Gwen's anxious ones. 

"Don't scare me like that!" Gwen exclaimed, hitting Alex on the shoulder. "I had to shake you for a good five minutes! I thought I'd have to tote you to the nearest hospital except that I don't know where it is!" 

"Chill, Gwen. I'm fine. I was just dreaming." Gwen nodded knowingly. "I know what happened to Richard and Caroline." 

"I know what kind of spirits we have," Gwen answered. Silently, the two girls reached out, each one touching the scars on the other's arm. A small jolt passed through them and then everything was the way it'd been before. "Somehow I expected more pyrotechnics." 

"Can't have everything you want, girly girl," Alex laughed. "Spirit of the fox, eh?" 

"I can't say I'm surprised," countered Gwen. "They're solitary creatures who hunt in pairs." She bared her teeth playfully at Alex. 

"I just wish I felt certain though. I mean, I don't _feel_ like a fox. All I want is a sign, is that too much to ask?" 

Across the path, the street vendors were packing up for the day as the darkness deepened. "We should get moving," suggested Gwen. She began to walk towards the path but stopped short. Alex ran into her back, banging the tip of her nose against Gwen's back. 

"Ouch." 

"Alex, look. Is that...?" Gwen pointed to one of the vendors. 

"It couldn't be." 

The girls edged closer and then began hurrying towards the vendor, pleased that they'd hunted down their Darwin fish after all. 

******** 

**The End**

******** 

Please visit my Caroline in the City webpage: [Sincere Amore][3]  
  


   [1]: mailto:ovaltine8@yahoo.com
   [2]: mailto:soitgoes@witty.com
   [3]: http://www.sincereamore.com/



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